MASTER 

NEGATIVE 
NO.  94-821 92 


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Author: 


I  d.1166}  U.Vi^. 


Title: 


Constructive  linoleum 


Place: 


Laficaster,  Pa. 


Date: 


[1922-1923] 


M-%M^'d. 


MASTER   NEGATIVE   # 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
PRESERVATION  DIVISION 

BIBLIOGRAPHIC  MICROFORM  TARGET 


ORIGINAL  MATERIAL  AS  FILMED  -    EXISTING  BIBLIOGRAPHIC  RECORD 


Pattoe,  J.      G, 

Constructive  linoletmi  salesmanship,  a  course 
in  retail  selling,  by  J.  G,  Pattee...   Lancas- 
.  ter,  Armstrong  cork  co.,fCl921^ 

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Contents.—   x  -^  r  r>r  '  . 

Pt.  3.  The  sl-x  steps  in  a  sale.—  Pt.  4.  Arous- 
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Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 


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A  Course  in  Retail  Selling 


By 
J.  G.  Pattee 


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LECTURE  I 


History  of  Retail  Selling 


Published  by 

Armstrong  Cork  Company,  Linoleum  Dept. 
Lancaster,  Pennsylvania 


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Constructive   Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

A  Personal  Message  From 
The  Author 

Dear  Fellow-Student: 

It  is  twenty-five  years  since  I  entered  upon  an 
active  business  career,  yet  with  all  sincerity  I  can  say 
that  I  am  still  a  student  of  salesmanship,  which  has 
been  my  life  work.  So,  whether  you  are  a  beginner 
or  a  veteran,  I  believe  you  will  permit  me  to  address 
you  as  a  fellow-student. 

It  is  my  aim  in  these  talks  on  selling  to  bring  before 
you  in  logical  order  some  fundamental  ideas  that  I 
have  found  of  definite  benefit  to  me  in  my  own  w^ork. 
I  have  always  been  a  salesman,  and  I  shall  never  be 
anything  else.  There  is  a  thrill  about  the  making  of 
a  sale  that  never  grows  old. 

As  you  study  these  pages — and  I  trust  that  you  will 
study  them  because,  modestly,  I  believe  that  what 
is  written  here  is  worth  while — I  hope  that  your 
thinking  will  be  stimulated,  and  that  you  wall  be  in- 
spired to  perfect  yourself  as  a  salesman. 

Experience  has  been  defined  as  ''knowledge  gained 

by  observation  or  trial."    Experience  by  trial  is,  at 

best,  a  tedious  process;  experience  by  observation  is 

1 


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Constructive   Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

A  Personal  Message  From 
The  Author 

Dear  Fellow-Student: 

It  is  twenty-five  years  since  I  entered  upon  an 
active  business  career,  yet  with  all  sincerity  I  can  say 
that  I  am  still  a  student  of  salesmanship,  which  has 
been  my  life  work.  So,  whether  you  are  a  beginner 
or  a  veteran,  I  believe  you  will  permit  me  to  address 
you  as  a  fellow-student. 

It  is  my  aim  in  these  talks  on  selling  to  bring  before 
you  in  logical  order  some  fundamental  ideas  that  I 
have  found  of  definite  benefit  to  me  in  my  own  work. 
I  have  always  been  a  salesman,  and  I  shall  never  be 
anything  else.  There  is  a  thrill  about  the  making  of 
a  sale  that  never  grows  old. 

As  you  study  these  pages — and  I  trust  that  you  will 
study  them  because,  modestly,  I  believe  that  what 
is  written  here  is  worth  while — I  hope  that  your 
thinking  will  be  stimulated,  and  that  you  will  be  in- 
spired to  perfect  yourself  as  a  salesman. 

Experience  has  been  defined  as  ''knowledge  gained 
by  observation  or  trial."  Experience  by  trial  is,  at 
best,  a  tedious  process;  experience  by  observation  is 


I 


/.  G.  Pattee,  Boston,  Mass, 

MR.  PATTEE  entered  the  employ  of  the  R.  H.  White 
('ompany,  Boston,  as  a  stock  boy  at  $2.50  a  week. 
He  was  advanced  steadily  as  a  retail  salesman  in 
various  departments  until  he  became  department  manager. 
He  has  always  been  interested  in  teaching  salespeople  how 
to  sell .  His  later  experience  includes  three  years  as  a  manu- 
facturer's salesman,  ownership  of  a  store,  and  the  last  five 
years  as  a  member  of  the  Dry  Goods  Economist  Staff,  as 
organizer  of  educational  courses  in  large  retail  establish- 
ments, and  lecturer  and  instructor  in  the  art  of  retail  selling. 
Mr.  Pattee  has  traveled  from  coast  to  coast,  visiting  prac- 
tically every  important  store  in  the  country.  His  course, 
therefore,  is  based  upon  many  years  of  active  retail  experi- 
ence, personal  knowledge  of  salesmanship,  and  unusual  op- 
portunities for  observation. 


X 


I 


I 


education.  It  is  shorter  because  it  eliminates  need- 
less experimenting.  In  this  course  I  am  passing  along 
to  you  my  observations  of  salesmen  and  selling, 
covering,  as  I  have  said,  a  period  of  many  years. 

All  education  is,  at  best,  only  a  means  to  an  end. 
The  purpose  of  any  course  of  study  is  to  make  men 
and  women  think.  All  the  education  in  the  world 
will  not  makeyou  a  good  salesman  or  a  good  lawyer 
unless  you  make  practical  application  of  your  knowl- 
edge. Even  though  you  commit  to  memory  every- 
thing that  is  said  in  these  talks,  it  will  avail  you 
nothing  unless  the  principles  presented  are  put  into 
use  by  you  in  your  daily  work. 

Someone  has  said, ''  If  you  have  a  dollar  and  I  have 
a  dollar  and  we  exchange  dollars,  we  each  have  a 
dollar;  if  you  have  an  idea  and  I  have  an  idea  and 
we  exchange  ideas,  we  each  have  two  ideas."  That's 
the  spirit  of  modern  business — not  the  old  selfish 
thought  of  *' every  man  for  himself,"  but  the  broader 
vision  that  knows  we  help  ourselves  most  when  we 
help  others. 

In  placing  this  course  in  your  hands,  the  Arm- 
strong Cork  Company  has  made  it  possible  for  me  to 
share  with  you  many  ideas  that  I  have  gathered  here 
and  there  all  over  this  country. 

Do  you  read  ''Linoleum  Logic"?  What  experi- 
ences or  suggestions  can  you  offer  that  will  make  it 
more  helpful  to  other  salesmen?  May  I  urge  that  you 
share  your  ideas  and  experiences  through  the  columns 
of  this  little  magazine?     The  editor  of  ''Linoleum 

Logic"  will,  I  am  sure,  welcome  your  contribution. 

3 


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I 


Josh  Billings  said,  ''The  greatest  virtue  of  a  post- 
age stamp  is  its  ability  to  stick  to  one  thing  until  it 
gets  there."  Make  up  your  mind  now  that  you  will 
read  and  study  each  of  the  lectures  in  this  course. 
Don't  say  you  haven't  time  to  study;  even  a  half 
hour  a  day  spent  in  studying  and  reading  will,  within 
a  short  time,  develop  powers  in  you  that  you  have 
never  dreamed  you  possessed. 

I  have  tried  to  prepare  this  course  in  a  convenient 
form  so  that  you  can  read  and  study  it  at  your  home, 
going  to  and  from  business,  during  the  lunch  hour,  or 
in  other  spare  moments — golden  moments  that,  in- 
vested in  study,  will  pay  bigger  and  bigger  dividends 
as  time  goes  on. 

If  you  gain  nothing  more  out  of  this  course  than  the 
inspiration  and  desire  to  make  of  yourself  a  better 
salesman  and  some  helpful  ideas  that  will  enable  you 
to  do  your  daily  work  more  efficiently,  then  I  shall 
be  fully  rewarded  for  the  time  and  effort  that  I  have 
put  into  the  writing  of  the  course. 


1^   I  < 


Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

LECTURE  I 

History  of  Retail  Selling 

Barter  and  Trade: — Retail  selling  had  its  beginning 
centuries  ago  in  the  idea  of  barter  and  trade,  where  one 
man  exchanged,  or  "swapped,"  the  surplus  of  his  own  pro- 
duction, which  he  did  not  need,  for  the  surplus  production 
of  another  man,  which  he  did  need.  We  find  in  this  idea 
the  basis  of  the  trading  post.  Here  the  Indian  and  the 
trapper  brought  their  skins  and  received,  in  exchange, 
food  and  clothing  and,  it  is  to  be  feared,  much  rum  and 
useless  trinkets. 

Hudson's  Bay  Company: — It  was  in  just  this  way 
that  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  its  start.  Founded 
in  1670  by  royal  grant  of  King  Charles  II  to  Prince 
Rupert  and  seventeen  gentlemen,  its  charter  gave  them  the 
vast  territory  from  Hudson's  Bay  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
For  almost  two  hundred  years  they  exercised  unlimited 
control  over  this  enormous  area.  Even  today  the  com- 
pany is  one  of  the  most  powerful  influences  in  the  Domin- 
ion of  Canada.  Its  trading  posts  are  still  scattered  all  over 
the  great  northwest.  Its  land  holdings  are  almost  beyond 
realization,  and  in  twelve  of  the  largest  cities  it  has  stores 
equaling  in  every  particular  some  of  the  finest  stores  in 

the  United  States. 

5   . 


4 


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I 


The  Asior  Fortune:— In  like  manner,  the  great  Astor 
fortune  was  founded.  John  Jacob  Astor  was  the  son  of  a 
Gernaan  butcher.  On  the  way  to  this  country  in  1837  he 
met  a  fur  trader  and  on  his  advice  young  John  Jacob  went 
into  the  fur  trading  business,  dealing  with  the  Indians.  He 
established  connections  in  London  and  other  foreign  coun- 
tries and  was  able  to  dispose  of  his  skins  to  great  financial 
advantage.  Such  were  the  beginnings  of  the  great  Astor 
fortune,  estimated  at  the  time  of  John  Jacob  Astor's 
death  to  be  more  than  thirty  millions  of  dollars. 

The  General  Store: — The  general  store  at  the  cross- 
roads was  the  next  step  in  retailing.  Here  the  farmer 
brought  his  produce  and  exchanged  it  for  the  necessities 
of  life.  The  trader  and  general  storekeeper  were  shrewd 
salesmen,  constantly  alert  to  make  a  "good  trade."  In- 
deed, most  of  them  were  veritable  David  Harums.  They 
personally  served  each  customer,  and  on  their  ability  to 
drive  a  sharp  bargain  depended  their  success. 

The.  Modern  Store: — As  the  country  grew  in  popula- 
tion and  cities  developed,  transportation  became  better 
and  the  marketing  of  products  a  simpler  process.  Money 
became  the  general  basis  of  exchange.  *  No  longer  coukl 
the  proprietor  serve  each  customer  personally.  He  was 
obliged  to  employ  others  to  help  him.  Formerly  suc- 
cess depended  entirely  on  the  energy  and  ability  of  the 
merchant  himself.  Today,  his  success  depends  on  his 
ability  to  secure  or  train  capable  assistants.  Even  a  hun- 
dred years  ago  or  more,  practically  all  trading  was  in 
necessities.  Now  fully  60  per  cent,  of  retail  sales  are  for 
what  are  virtually  luxuries.  Take  away  the  sale  of  these 
commodities  from  the  average  store,  and  great  business 
houses  would  be  forced  to  close  their  doors. 

SalesmansMp  a  Universal  Pro/e«8ioii:— Not  only  is 
salesmanship  a  very  old  profession  but  it  is,  without  doubt, 

6 


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the  only  universal  profession.  No  matter  who  we  are  or 
what  our  position  in  life  is,  we  all  have  something  to  sell. 
It  may  be  merchandise,  ideas,  our  own  services,  or  the 
services  of  others.  And  no  matter  what  the  commoditv  we 
have  to  sell,  we  all  of  us,  personally,  must  sell  our  own 
services.  On  our  abiUty  to  sell  ourselves  depends  the 
compensation  we  are  able  to  command. 

Any  professional  man,  doctor,  lawyer,  architect,  or  what 
not,  must  not  only  have  an  intimate  knowledge  of  his  pro- 
fession and  the  al)ility  to  apply  that  knowledge,  but  he 
must  also  know  where  and  how  to  sell  his  services  to  the 
l)est  advantage. 

Every  Employee  a  Salesman: — By  the  term  salesman 
we  ordinarily  mean  the  person  in  the  store  who  makes 
sales.  Have  3^ou  ever  thought  that  every  employee  in 
your  store  is  a  salesman  also?  The  girl  who  wraps  pack- 
ages is  a  good  salesman  when  she  wraps  them  neatly  and' 
securely.  The  elevator  operator  is  a  good  salesman  when 
he  announces  departments  distinctly  and  answers  inquiries 
cheerfully.  The  bookkeeper  is  a  good  salesman  when  he 
receipts  bills  with  a  smile  and  a  "  thank  you."  Thus  every 
person  in  the  store  has  it  in  his  power  to  sell  good  will  to 
every  person  who  enters  it. 

Even  the  driver  on  the  delivery  truck  may  be  a  good  or 
bad  salesman.  Here  is  a  little  illustration:  Some  time  ago 
a  driver  for  a  well-known  firm  had  a  quantity  of  linoleum 
to  deliver  at  a  certain  residence.  The  lawn  at  this  resi- 
dence the  day  before  had  l)een  spaded,  raked,  and  seeded 
for  fall.  During  the  night  it  had  rained,  and  the  lawn  was 
a  mass  of  mud.  In  order  to  save  a  few  steps  for  them- 
selves, the  driver  and  his  helper  cut  across  a  corner  of  this 
muddy  ground,  leaving  footprints  three  or  four  inches  deep, 
and  covering  the  customer's  porch  and  steps  with  mud. 
The  woman  answered  the  doorbell  herself.    She  took  one 

7 


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look  at  the  steps  and  porch  and  at  the  lawn,  then  slammed 
the  door  in  the  driver's  face.  Immediately  she  called  the 
manager  of  the  store  on  the  telephone  and  told  him  to  keep 
the  linoleum  and  to  close  her  account.  For  nine  months 
thereafter  this  woman  never  bought  a  dollar's  worth  of 
goods  in  that  store.  The  driver  not  only  was  such  a  poor 
salesman  that  he  lost  the  sale  of  Hnoleum,  but  he  also 
deprived  every  salesperson  in  the  store  of  the  opportunity 
of  serving  this  customer. 

Are  your  linoleum  layers  or  truck  drivers  good  salesmen 
for  the  Linoleum  Department?  No  matter  what  your  posi- 
tion in  the  store  may  be,  this  concerns  you  as  well  as  any 
one  else.  Perhaps  tactfully  you  can  yourself  imbue  every 
individual  in  the  store  with  whom  you  have  contact  with 
the  thought  that  all  are  salesmen  and  all  by  their  salesman- 
ship, whether  it  be  good  or  bad,  can  vitally  influence  the 
welfare  of  the  store  and  its  standing  in.  the  community. 


m 


QUESTIONS  FOR  SELF-STUDY 

1.  What  is  your  purpose  in  beginning  the  study  of  this 
course? 

2.  How  does  the  salesman  of  today  look  upon  the  trader 
of  a  hundred  years  ago? 

3.  What  proportion  of  the  sales  in  your  store  is  for 
actual  necessities,  and  what  proportion  is  for  sales  of  mer- 
chandise that  contribute  to  making  life  more  enjoyable? 

4.  Can  you  think  of  any  individual  who  does  not,  in  one 
way  or  another,  sell? 

5.  What  does  the  salesman  in  your  department  add  to 
the  value  of  any  article  he  sells? 

6.  Could  the  department  exist  without  salesmen? 

7.  Are  all  the  people  in  your  department  selling  the  store 
as  well  as  the  merchandise  that  they  sell,  wrap,  or  deliver? 


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OF  BUSINESS 

Constructive  Linoleum    ^ 
Salesmanship 

A  Course  in  Retail  Selling 


By 
J.  G.  Pattee 


! 


» 


LECTURE  II 


The  Three  Factors  of  a  Sale 


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Published  by 

Armstrong  Cork  Company,  Linoleum  Dept. 

Lancaster.  Pennsylvania 


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Copyrighi,  19S1,  by 
Armbtrono  Cork  Company 

LlNOLBUM  DkPARTMENT' 

LANCASTnt,  Pa. 


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Constructive   Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

LECTURE  II 

Tlie  Three  Factors  of  a  Sale 

Every  Sale  a  Triangle:— Eviiy  sale  may  be  coiisideicd 
as  a  well-balanced  triangle.  The  base,  or  foundation,  of 
this  triangle  is  the  salesman,  supporting  on  one  side  the 
customer  and  on  the  other  the  store.  When  all  sides  of  this 
triangle  are  functioning   properly  ihvy  form  a  pyramid 


SALESMAN 

and  a  pi^rfect  sale  results.  As  a  store's  volume  of  business 
is  the  total  amount  of  its  sales,  no  store  can  be  successful 
unless  all  three  of  these  factors  are  working  in  harmony. 

First,  the  Salesman: — All  tlie  merchandise  in  your 
store  is  a  liability  until  it  has  been  sold;  it  becomes  a 
tangible  asset  when  it  is  transformed  into  dollars  and  cents 

1 


n    n      III         iiiilil iiiiilll lilllllllilillilll Ill 

«#||l    I        »!««■  n    MH       III ™ ■■ ■■■■■■II 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


V 

II 


AmiVPBONO  COSK  COMPAMT 

LnroLcuM  DBPAsnoirr 
LANCAvmit  Pa. 


Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

I 

LECTURE  II 
The  Three  Factors  of  a  Sale 

Every  Sale  a  Triangle:— Every  sale  may  be  considered 
as  a  well-balanced  triangle.  The  base,  or  foundation,  of 
this  triangle  is  the  salesman,  supporting  on  one  side  the 
customer  and  on  the  other  the  store.  When  all  sides  of  this 
triangle  are  functioning  properly  they  form  a  pyramid 


4/> 


.v;^. 


>t?ySERVICE^ 
Co. 


SALESMAN 

and  a  perfect  sale  results.  As  a  store's  volume  of  business 
is  the  total  amount  of  its  sales,  no  store  can  be  successful 
unless  all  three  of  these  factors  are  working  in  harmony. 

First,  the  Salesman:— A\\  the  merchandise  in  your 
store  is  a  liability  until  it  has  been  sold;  it  becomes  a 
tangible  asset  when  it  is  transformed  into  dollars  and  cents 

1 


Mi 


by  tlie  efforts  of  the  salesman.  Hence  the  salesman  is  the 
most  vital  force  in  the  store — vital  because  he  comes  into 
direct  contact  with  the  store's  customers. 

Some  salesmen  regard  salesmanship  as  a  battle  of  wits 
between  buyer  and  seller,  each  ever  on  the  alert  to  take 
advantage  of  the  other.  Indeed,  dishonest  and  downright 
tricky  methods  are  sometimes  employed  to  mislead  the 
customer.  Such  methods  no  doubt  save  an  occasional 
sale,  but  they  invariably  lose  the  customer.  Here  is  an 
incident  in  point: 

A  lady  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  read  an  advertisement  in  a 
magazine,  and  decided  to  buy  some  plain  linoleum  in  the 
new  blue  shade.  The  salesman  who  served  her  did  not 
happen  to  have  any  plain  linoleum  in  stock,  so  he  informed 
the  lady  that  it  was  impossible  to  make  linoleum  in  plain 
colors,  and  that  she  had  misread  the  advertisement. 

The  customer  heard  the  salesman's  explanation,  but 
went  home  without  buying.  She  reread  the  advertise- 
ment,  then  wrote  the  Armstrong  ClJork  Company  for  samples 
of  plain  blue  linoleum,  saying: 

"I  really  should  enjoy  showing  them  to  this  salesman, 
together  with  the  advertisement  he  said  was  not  relial)lc. 
Of  course,  I  would  never  buy  anything  from  that  salesman 
who  tried  to  trick  me  into  buying  something  else  because 
he  did  not  have  what  I  wanted  in  stock." 

That  salesman  lost  his  store  a  customer  and  failed  to 
perform  his  function  in  the  triangle. 

Service  is  the  most  important  thing  that  any  sakjsman 
has  to  sell.  He  must,  therefore,  fortify  himself  with  an 
intimate  knowledge  of  his  merchandise — not  only  the 
merchandise  he  has  on  the  floor,  but  the  wholesaler's 
and  manufacturer's  lines.  In  short,  salesmanship  is  not 
a  matter  of  "putting  it  over"  on  the  customer,  but  is  ser- 
vice to  the  customer,  even  at  the  risk  of  an  occasional 

2 


\ 


f        ^ 


immediate  sale,  because  the  store  is  not  in  a  position  to 
supply  the  customer's  real  wants. 

Second,  the  Store: — Confidence  is  the  basis  of  all 
modern  business.  Every  dollar's  worth  of  goods  in  your 
store  is  purchased  with  confidence  that  it  will  be  delivered 
to  the  store  as  represented.  It  reaches  your  store  without 
the  advance  payment  of  a  single  dollar  because  the  manu- 
facturer or  w^holesaler  is  confident  of  your  employer's 
al)ility  to  pay.  Confidence,  or  good  will,  as  it  is  often 
called,  is  the  most  valuable  asset  your  store  possesses. 
The  name  ''Marshall  Field"  or  "John  Wanamaker"  is 
worth  more,  perhaps,  than  all  the  physical  assets  of  either 
of  these  stores  combined,  because  the  public  has  been 
taught  to  have  confidence  in  these  institutions. 

As  the  authorized  agent  of  your  store  in  meeting  the 
public,  you  are  entrusted  with  its  most  valuable  asset. 
You  must  be  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  store's  poHcies, 
and  in  sympathy  with  them.  You  must  have  confidence 
not  only  in  the  store  but  in  yourself,  a  confidence  born  not 
of  conceit,  but  of  knowledge.  Whatever  you  do,  do  not 
impair  the  public's  confidence  in  your  store,  as  represented 
by  you. 

Third,  the  Customer: — In  the  long  run,  your  store 
cannot  depend  upon  its  ability  to  buy  cheaper  than  its 
competitor  or  to  undersell  him  to  build  a  real,  soHd,  busi- 
ness structure.  Price  is  by  no  means  the  determining 
factor  in  business  that  it  has  been  credited  with  being. 
The  only  real  competition  is  a  competition  of  service. 
The  little  fellow  around  the  corner  may  exist  because  he 
cuts  prices,  but  the  institution  that  is  worthy  of  growing 
builds  itself  upon  the  foundation  of  good  goods,  fair  prices, 
and  service. 

The  old  idea  in  salesmanship  was  to  "knock  them  down 
and  drag  them  out,"  if  necessary,  but  to  make  the  sale. 

3 


The  modern  idea  is  that  only  as  the  customer  is  well  served 
will  the  store  succeed  in  gaining  the  customer's  confidence 
and  continued  patronage. 

Am  Opp&rtimit^: — As  I  have  gone  about  from  store 
to  store  over  this  country,  I  have  found  that  the  linoleum 
salesman  has  an  unusual  opportunity  for  developing  the 
service  idea  in  his  work.  It  is  true  that  there  must  be 
order-takers,  but  constructive  linoleum  salesmanship  de- 
mands not  only  a  knowledge  of  modern  linoleum  and  the 
recent  developments  in  this  field  of  merchandise,  but  it 
also  requires  some  acquaintanceship  with  the  fundamental 
ideas  in  home  decoration. 

I  have  been  in  stores  where  the  salesmen  have  entirely 
discarded  the  phrase  "floor  covering"  as  applied  to  lin- 
oleum, and  are  talking  about  Unoleum  Moors.  Wonien 
everywhere  have  welcomed  linoleum  as  a  rtieans  of  making 
their  homes  brighter  and  their  work  easier,  but  to  many 
people  the  idea  of  hnoleum  as  a  floor  for  any  room  is  new. 
It  upsets  the  traditions  of  wood  floors. 

Here  the  art  of  the  real  salesman  enters  into  the  picture. 
He  must  get  his  customer  to  see  for  herself  how  well  a 
floor  of  plain,  jasp^,  parquetry,  or  carpet  inlaid  linoleum 
will  look  in  her  home.  He  will  make  her  realize  that  such 
a  floor  serves  as  a  pleasing  background  for  the  rugs  laid 
upon  it.  He  will  show  her  how,  starting  with  the  floor, 
everything  in  the  room,  including  draperies,  wall-paper, 
and  hangings,  can  be  brought  into  color  harmony. 

The  salesman  who  can  lead  his  customer  into  this  field 
because  he  has  studied  the  subject  of  interior  decoration 
is  able  to  give  service  that  will  bring  him  and  his  store 
business. 

It  is  said  there  are  two  kinds  of  men  in  the  world — 
those  who  are  content  to  drift  with  the  tide,  and  those  who 
strike  upstream  toward  the  desired  haven.    Are  you  will- 


\ 


ing  to  take  the  trouble  to  study,  for  instance,  the  subject 
of  modern  linoleum  floors  so  that  you  can  render  the  fullest 
possible  measure  of  service  to  your  customers  and  to  your 
store? 

The  Mental  Law  of  Sale 

Selling  a  Mental  Transaction:— The  student  of 
salesmanship  must  understand  that  selling  is  not  a  physi- 
cal transaction,  but  a  purely  mental  reaction  taking  place 
in  the  customer's  mind.  "The  mental  law  of  sale"  is  that 
selling  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  influencing  the  customer 
to  think  as  you  want  the  customer  to  think. 

Channels  of  Approach: — There  are  five  channels 
through  which  you  can  approach  the  customer's  mind. 
These  are  the  five  senses — seeing,  hearing,  feeling,  smell- 
ing, and  tasting.  One  or  more  of  these  five  senses  is 
employed  in  every  selling  transaction. 

Did  you  ever  see  a  girl  selling  perfumery?  Did  you 
notice  that  she  held  the  stopper  near  the  customer's  face, 
appealing  to  her  sense  of  smell?  Watch  a  coffee  demon- 
strator in  a  grocery  store.  Invariably  she  urges  the  visitor 
to  sample  a  small  cup.  The  combined  appeal  of  the  taste 
of  good  coffee  with  its  aroma  is  well-nigh  irresistible.  The 
talking  machine  salesman  sells  chiefly,  of  course,  through 
the  sense  of  hearing,  yet  he  never  overlooks  the  beauty  of 
the  instrument  itself.  And  so  we  might  analyze  the  selling 
of  any  type  of  merchandise. 

Seeing  and  Hearing: — By  far  the  greater  number  of 
our  mental  impressions  are  gained  either  through  the  eye 
or  ear.  Of  these  two  senses,  scientists  tell  us  that  the  eye 
is  twenty  times  as  effective  as  the  ear  in  the  impressions  it 
carries  to  the  human  brain.  This  is  a  significant  fact  that 
you  would  do  well  to  ponder  over.  Do  you  talk  too  much 
and  show  too  little?    Do  you  display  your  merchandise 

5 


•mmummt 


to  the  best  advantage?  Does  your  store  make  use  of 
color-plates,  window  trims,  sample  books,  etc.,  prepared 
l)y  your  own  Advertising  Department,  or  by  the  manu- 
facturer, to  appeal  to  the  customer's  sight?  Are  you 
satisfied  to  show  linoleum,  for  instance,  standing  in  the 
roll  on  end,  surrounded  by  dozens  of  other  patterns,  or  do 
you  roll  it  out  on  the  floor  where  the  customer  can  really 
see  the  design  and  colorings  and  picture  to  herself  liow  it 
will  look  on  her  own  floor? 

Mental  Steps  of  a  Sale: — Every  sale  is  a  mental  re- 
action. It  is  obvious  tliat  there  are  certain  stages  tlu-ough 
which  the  customer's  mind  must  be  piloted  l)efore  a  sale 
is  made.  Few  sales  are  made  directly  on  an  impulse. 
When  a  customer  comes  into  the  store  and  asks  for  a  cer- 
tain article,  the  desire  for  possession  of  that  article  has 
already  been  stimulated.  Once  the  customer  is  in  the 
store,  however,  a  salesman  can  stimulate  a  desire  for  other 
articles  as  well. 

These  mental  stages  may  be  indicated  grapliically  as  the 
six  steps  of  a  sale.  Step  l)y  step  the  customer's  mind  must 
be  carried  along  until  the  sale  lias  hcicn  accomplished. 

Visualize  tliis  diagram: 

A  PERFECT  SALE 

C.  InsiiriiiiS  Customer's  Good  Will 
5.  Introducing  Other  Merchandise 

4.  Closing  the  Sale  . 
3.  Creating  Desire  . 
2.  Arousing  Interest 

1.  Attracting  Attention 


§ 


^1 


■' 


V 


:   1 


4 


I 


It  often  happens  that  the  customer's  immediate  needs 
l)ring  her  at  once  to  the  fourth  step.  Then  the  salesman's 
task  is  an  easy  one.  But  in  many  cases  the  customer's 
attention  has  been  attracted  and  her  interest  aroused 
tlirough  advertising  in  the  magazines,  in  the  daily  news- 
papers, through  direct  mail  literature,  or  in  any  one  of  a 
number  of  other  ways  through  which  advertising  works. 
The  customer  then  has  been  sufficiently  interested  to 
come  to  the  store  to  see  the  merchandise.  At  this  point 
the  salesman  enters  with  part  of  his  work  done  for  him 
by  the  advertising,  but  everything  yet  depending  on  him 
to  complete  the  sale. 

The  next  lectures  will  take  up  step  by  step  the  mental 
process  of  a  sale.  In  the  mean  time,  before  these  lectures 
reach  you,  study  yourself  as  you  sell  goods — analyze  the 
steps  in  the  selling  process.  You  will  find  that  nearly 
every  sale  can  be  subdivided  into  the  six  steps  just  out- 
lined. 


ri; [...laiii Ill 


QUESTIONS  FOR  SELF-STUDY 

1.  Why  is  the  salesman  the  most  important  factor  in 
the  three-sided  sales  triangle? 

2.  What  is  the  best  way  to  dispose  of  shopworn  or  out- 
of-date  merchandise? 

3.  If  you  take  advantage  of  a  customer,  will  you  be  glad 
to  see  her  when  next  she  enters  the  store? 

4.  On  an  average,  to  how  many  persons  is  one  dissatis- 
fied customer  likely  to  give  an  unfavorable  opinion  of  your 
store? 

5.  Do  your  customers  recommend  their  friends  to  apply 
to  you  personally,  and  to  buy  at  your  store? 

6.  Here  is  a  problem  in  simple  mathematics.  If  the 
annual  purchases  by  a  certain  customer  in  your  store  are 
$100  a  year,  and  that  customer  is  lost  to  the  store  through 
misrepresentation,  what  is  the  total  business  the  store 
really  loses? 

7.  Is  it  necessary  to  talk  price  if  your  trade  has  con- 
fidence in  you? 

8.  Do  you  consider  it  wise  to  confess  ignorance  when 
the  customer  asks  you  a  question  you  cannot  answer? 

9.  In  an  Indianapolis  store,  a  certain  salesman  always 
asks  his  customers  to  feel  the  thickness  and  the  finish  of 
the  better  grades  of  inlaid  linoleum.  In  what  other  ways 
can  you  appeal  to  the  sense  of  feeling? 

10.  Do  the  salesmen  in  your  store  begrudgingly  unroll 
linoleum  for  the  customer  to  see  the  pattern? 

11.  Write  in  your  own  words  a  definition  of  the  mental 
law  of  sale,  and  the  six  steps  in  a  perfect  sale. 


8 


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Armstrongls  Linoleum 

tar  Emy  Roor  in  ffu  Bouat 


Conk^tim 

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Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

A  Course  in  Retail  Selling 

By 
J.  G.  Pattee 


ii 


1 1 


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V 

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LECTURE  III 


The  Six  Steps  in  a  Sale 


PuUished  by 

Armstrong  Cork  Company,  Linoleum  Dept. 

L^CASTEB»  Pennsylvania 


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Copyright,  1921,  by 

Abmstkonq  Cork  Company 

Linoleum  Dbpabtment 


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Constructive   Linoleum 
Salesmanship 


LKCTl  RE  III 


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The  Six  Steps  in  a  Sale 
A.  Aifnwtiug  Aiieuiion 

Forces  at  Work:  When  a  woman  enters  i\w  Floor- 
Covering-  Department  and  asks  for  linoleum,  the  first  of 
the  six  stei)s  in  the  makinji;  of  a  sale  has  already  been 
rcniehed.  Because  of  her  ([(^finite  ikmmI  for  linoleum  or  her 
dc^sire  to  make  her  home  more  attractive  she  has  come  to 
your  stores  and  to  your  (lei)artment  to  })uy  goods.  Even 
l)eforc  you,  as  a  salesman,  grcM't  her,  certain  forces  have 
l)een  at  work  upon  her  im'nd,  attracting  hei'  attention  both 
to  linolfHUii  and  to  your  store  and  thus  opening  the  way  foi* 
you  to  make  the  next  st(^i)  in  the  sale. 

It  is  estimat(Ml  that  at  least  75  i)ei-  cent,  of  the  people 
who  buy  goods  at  any  stori*  liave  had  their  attention 
attracted  to  the  store  and  to  the  merchandise  they  are 
looking  for  l)efore  they  come  under  the  infiuenct*  of  the 
salesman. 

Advertising: — Without  doubt  the  most  potent  factor 
in  attracting  the  attention  of  people  to  Iheir  needs  for 
nHMchandise  is  advertising,  in  one  of  its  several  forms. 
In  fact,  the  word  ''adviutising"  has  its  dei'ivation  in  two 

1 


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INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


I 


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lOA-' ''^S>^ 


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Copyright^  19^1,  by 
Abustbono  Cork  Company 

LiIHOLBUM  DBPABTKBirr 

Lancabter,  Pa. 


^* 


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Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

LECTURE  III 
The  Six  Steps  in  a  Sale 

/I.  Attracting  Attention 

Forces  at  Work: — When  a  woman  enters  the  Floor- 
Covering  Department  and  asks  for  Hnoleum,  the  first  of 
the  six  steps  in  the  making  of  a  sale  has  already  been 
reached.  Because  of  her  definite  need  for  linoleum  or  her 
desire  to  make  her  home  more  attractive  she  has  come  to 
your  store  and  to  your  department  to  buy  goods.  Even 
before  you,  as  a  salesman,  greet  her,  certain  forces  have 
been  at  work  upon  her  mind,  attracting  her  attention  both 
to  Hnoleum  and  to  your  store  and  thus  opening  the  way  for 
you  to  make  the  next  step  in  the  sale. 

It  is  estimated  that  at  least  75  per  cent,  of  the  people 
who  buy  goods  at  any  store  have  had  their  attention 
attracted  to  the  store  and  to  the  merchandise  they  are 
looking  for  before  they  come  under  the  influence  of  the 
salesman. 

Advertising: — Without  doubt  the  most  potent  factor 
in  attracting  the  attention  of  people  to  their  needs  for 
merchandise  is  advertising,  in  one  of  its  several  forms. 
In  fact,  the  word  "advertising"  has  its  derivation  in  two 

1 


"■•HMIM 


Il 


II 


.1 

I 


Lalin  words,  flwl,  meaning  to,  and  verterej  to  turn,  hence  it 
means  to  turn  to — to  draw  the  attention. 

Briefly  let  us  analyze  how  advertising  works  to  turn  the 
minds  of  people  to  linoleum,  thus  paving  the  way  for  you 
to  make  a  sale. 

The  Storeys  Admrthing: — First,  let  us  consider  the 
store's  own  advertising.  The  fact  that  your  store  is  in 
business  on  a  main  street  is,  in  itself,  an  advertisement. 
Its  reputation,  its  years  of  service  to  the  community,  its 
policies  of  fair  deaMng  and  honest  merchandise  at  honest 
prices — ai  of  these  create  a  friendly  feeling  on  the  part  of 
the  public  toward  the  store.  And  thus  the  character  of  the 
store  impresses  itself  upon  the  community  and  draws  the 
attention  of  the  pubhc  to  itself. 

Second,  the  stores  that  have  been  most  successful  in  this 
country  are  those  that  are  not  content  to  "continue  doing 
business  at  the  old  stand"  but  have  reached  out  for  new 
customers  and  new  business  through  local  advertising. 

It  is  true  that  "word  of  mouth"  advertising,  the  ex- 
pressions of  appreciation  and  confidence  on  the  part  of 
customers  to  their  friends,  is  a  very  valuable  asset  to  any 
store.  But  word  of  mouth  advertising  works  slowly. 
Other  forms  of  advertising  must  be  used  in  addition  to 
bridge  the  years,  bring  in  a  constantly  increasing  number  of 
customers,  and  move  merchandise  rapidly.  Profits  depend 
upon  sales  volume  and  rapidity  of  turnover,  and  adver- 
tising is  the  means  by  which  the  up-to-date  retailer  seeks 
to  develop  both. 

rji€  BeparimenfB  Adtmrthmg:— Your  store  has 
doubtless  worked  out  its  advertising  policies.  As  a  sales- 
man, it  is  your  duty  to  be  thoroughly  familiar  with  all  the 
forms  of  publicity  being  used  to  build  prestige  for  the  store 
as  a  whole.  And,  in  addition,  as  a  salesman  in  the  Lino- 
leum Department,  you  should  not  only  be  well  informed 

2 


f "  *     f 


regarding  the  advertising  being  done  to  increase  the  sales 
but  zealous  in  suggesting  ways  to  advertise  linoleum  that 
will  bring  more  customers  into  your  department. 

Right  here  let  me  interject  the  fact  that  the  total  amount 
in  the  salesman's  order  book  is  not  the  only  way  of  measur- 
ing his  value  to  his  employer.  Since  the  amount  of  adver- 
tising given  to  linoleum  by  your  store  has  a  very  definite 
relation  to  the  amount  of  business  you  can  do,  your  sugges- 
tions as  to  how  to  make  this  advertising  more  helpful  and 
more  productive  will,  I  am  sure,  be  welcomed  by  your  chief. 
And  if  you  feel  that  linoleum,  or  any  other  item  in  the 
Floor-Covering  Department,  is  not  getting  its  due  share  of 
advertising,  you  owe  it  to  yourself,  as  well  as  to  the  store, 
to  bring  your  ideas  on  this  subject  constantly  to  the 
attention  of  those  who  are  in  charge. 

It  has  been  my  experience  that  when  I  asked  the ''  boss  "  to 
put  more  advertising  push  behind  some  items  in  which  I  was 
interested  he  was  willing  to  do  so  to  encourage  me,  especially 
if  he  saw  that  the  advertising  helped  me  to  sell  more  goods. 

The  Manufacturer* 8  Advertising:— Another  of  the 
forces  at  work  to  attract  attention  is  the  advertising  being 
done  by  the  manufacturer.  I  am  going  to  be  quite  frank 
with  you  and  admit  that  when  I  was  a  younger  salesman 
on  the  floor  I  used  to  think  that  the  manufacturer  usually 
wasted  his  money  in  advertising.  I  have  often  argued  that 
it  would  be  better  if  he  would  sell  the  goods  cheaper  and 
let  the  store  do  the  advertising. 

But  I  have  changed  my  views,  because  experience  has 
proved  that  when  done  wisely  the  advertising  of  an  article 
in  the  magazines  and  newspapers  by  the  manufacturer 
does  help  the  salesman  because  it  attracts  the  attention  of 
the  public  to  the  article  being  advertised,  and  educates  the 
patrons  of  the  retail  store  by  creating  new  desires,  and 
introducing  new  merchandise  to  the  public. 

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In  my  opinion,  there  are  two  kinds  of  advertising.  The 
first  is  educational,  the  second  is  to  tell  the  customer  where 
goods  can  be  purchased  and  how  much  they  cost.  The  ad- 
vertising being  done  by  the  manufacturers  of  Armstrong's 
Linoleum,  for  instance,  is  educational  in  its  character. 
The  color  pages  in  the  women's  magazines,  such  as  The 
Ladies'  Home  Journal,  Woman's  Home  Companion,  Mc- 
Call's  Magazine,  The  Delineator  and  The  Designer,  and  in 
The  Saturday  Evening  Post,  are  planned  to  make  people 
generally  more  "linoleum  conscious"  than  they  have  been 
in  the  past.  These  advertisements  show  how  linoleum  can 
be  used  as  a  floor  in  other  rooms  than  the  kitchen  or  bath- 
room, and  thereby  develop  a  larger  market  for  linoleum. 

In  my  own  case,  I  well  remember  when  my  wife  first 
called  my  attention  to  one  (jf  the  Armstrong  color  pages 
showing  a  linoleum  fioor  in  a  bedroom.  The  novelty  of  the 
thing  attracted  our  attention.  That  single  advertisement, 
however,  did  not "  sell "  us  on  the  idea.  But  as  each  month 
the  magazines  have  brought  us  very  beautiful  pictures  of 
other  rooms  where  linoleum  floors  can  be  used  as  a  part  of 
the  decorative  plan  of  the  room  our  acquaintanceship 
with  this  idea  has  increased,  and  we  now  regard  the  use  of 
linoleum  as  a  floor  as  entirely  practical,  and  in  good  taste. 

That  is  the  way  educational  advertising  works.  Of 
course  one  single  advertisement  will  never  educate  the 
American  public,  but  it  is  because  the  Armstrong  Cork 
Company  is  able  financially  to  carry  on  this  advertising 
persistently  year  after  year  that  the  idea  is  steadily  be- 
coming more  and  more  familiar.  I  am  told  that  this  ad- 
vertising reaches  a  very  large  percentage  of  the  best  homes 
in  every  community.  This  means  that  when  you  ask  a 
customer  to  look  at  linoleum  suitable  for  bedrooms  or 
dining-rooms,  for  instance,  the  thought  is  not  new,  but 
the  customer  already  knows  something  about  the  idea, 

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and  will  likely  be  responsive  to  your  explanation  and 
suggestions. 

Architects  Interested: — In  the  educational  work  thus 
outlined  the  manufacturers  of  Armstrong's  Linoleum  are 
also  advertising  to  the  architects  and  contractors  all  over- 
this  country.  Every  architect  in  your  city  each  year  re- 
ceives Uterature  about  linoleum  floors.  Many  of  the  lead- 
ing architects  have  placed  themselves  on  record  endoi-sing 
the  use  of  linoleum  not  only  in  remodeling  old  homes  but 
in  new  construction. 

Bureau  of  Interior  Decoration:— Every  woman  is 
interested  in  the  thing  that  will  make  her  home  a  more 
attractive  place  to  live.  The  Armstrong  color  pages 
which  show  home  interiors  naturally  have  brought  a  great 
many  letters  to  the  Company  in  which  women  ask  not  only 
about  linoleum  but  about  rugs,  draperies,  wall  paper,  color 
schemes,  etc.  I  spent  some  time  with  the  young  lady  who 
was  formerly  connected  with  the  Interior  Decorating  De- 
partment of  one  of  the  best  department  stores  in  New  York 
City  and  who  is  now  in  charge  of  the  Armstrong  Bureau  of 
Interior  Decoration.  I  was  amazed  at  the  number  of 
letters  she  receives  each  day  which  require  her  personal 
attention  and  in  reply  to  which  she  answers  many  ques- 
tions about  home  decoration.  I  had  no  idea  of  the  wide- 
spread interest  there  is  in  this  subject  of  the  decorative  use 
of  linoleum  until  I  had  read  these  letters  myself.  If  you 
have  customers  who  want  some  suggestions  about  the 
decoration  of  their  homes,  I  am  sure  that  the  young  lady 
in  charge  of  the  Armstrong  Bureau  of  Interior  Decoration 
will  be  glad  to  render  assistance. 

Window  Displays:— Frohably  the  most  effective 
method  in  retailing  to  attract  attention  is  by  means  of  the 
window  display.  The  most  valuable  space  in  the  store  is 
usually  given  for  display  purposes.     Is  your  department 

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receiving  its  full  share  of  this  form  of  advertising  in  your 
store?  Your  suggestions  to  the  window  display  man  about 
linoleum  displays,  if  given  tactfully,  1  am  sure  will  be  wel- 
come. If  you  are  not  familiar  with  the  Armstrong  window 
trims  which  your  store  can  secure  without  cost  and  which 
can  be  very  ewily  set  up  in  any  window  of  any  size,  you 
should  inform  yourself  about  them. 

The  Function  of  the  Sal€8man:So  far,  we  have 
been  talking  about  the  advertising  forces  at  work  with 
which  the  retail  salesman  does  not  have  immediate  con- 
nection but  which  he  can,  through  helpful  suggestions, 
utilize  to  his  advantage.  All  the  advertising  in  the  world 
and  all  the  window  displays  combined  cannot  sell  a  dollar's 
worth  of  linoleum  without  the  aid  of  an  efficient  sales 
organization.  But  every  honest  salesman  is  bound  to 
admit  that  advertising  can  have  a  favorable  influence  on  a 
large  percentage  of  the  customers  he  serves. 

The  Satemnan'8  Permnmlitu-'—lt  should  not  be 
necessary  in  this  modern  day  for  me  to  emphasize  the 
importance  of  good  personal  appearance.  No  salesman 
worthy  of  the  name  permits  himself  to  be  slovenly  in  dress 
or  personal  cleanliness.  Nor,  on  the  other  hand,  does  he 
overdress.  Remember  you  are  a  business  man.  Let  your 
clothing  be  conservative  in  style  and  pattern,  hands  and 
nails  well  kept,  teeth  clean,  and  shoes  well  polished.  If 
your  appearance  is  businesslike,  your  customers  will  give 
more  weight  to  what  you  say  and  accept  your  suggestions 
more  readily. 

Appmmhing  the  Cmtmner:—!  have  seen  customers 
turn  indignantly  about  and  leave  the  store  because  the 
only  salesman  who  was  free  on  the  floor  continued  to  fill 
out  his  sales  record  or  do  other  clerical  work  while  he  kept 
the  customer  waiting.  Promptly  discontinuing  any  work 
he  may  be  engaged  in,  the  efficient  salesman  approaches 

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the  customer  pleasantly  and  with  a  confident  bearing.  If 
possible,  he  greets  her  by  name.  He  is  deferential,  but 
not  servile.  He  is  courteous,  but  not  familiar.  He  con- 
centrates his  attention  on  securing  a  clear  understanding  of 
his  customer's  wants.  He  is  calm  and  self-possessed,  and 
his  voice  is  well-modulated,  while  his  words  are  well  chosen 
and  distinctly  spoken.  His  whole  desire  is  to  create  con- 
fidence in  himself  and  in  his  merchandise. 

Above  all  things,  however,  do  not  make  your  approach 
an  attack.  On  the  elevator  of  a  large  department  store,  I 
overheard  a  lady  remark  to  her  husband,  ''I  hate  to  trade 
in  that  department.  The  salesmen  just  pounce  on  you 
the  moment  you  get  off  the  elevator."  True  enough,  as 
they  left  the  elevator  at  the  carpet  floor,  there  stood  a 
line  of  salesmen  ready  to  "pounce"  on  them  before  they 
(jould  even  get  their  bearings. 

Making  a  purchase  of  an  article  that  requires  the  invest- 
ment of  even  twenty-five  or  fifty  dollars  is  quite  a  task  to 
most  people.  The  woman  who  buys  something  for  her 
home  knows  that  she  will  have  to  "  live  with  it,"  and  there- 
fore wants  to  be  sure  that  she  will  like  the  article  after  she 
has  purchased  it.  The  salesman,  by  the  manner  of  his 
approach,  can  do  much  to  set  his  customer  at  ease  so  that 
she  can  think  clearly  as  she  buys. 

Arrangement  of  the  Department: — To  make  a  good 
impression,  it  is  very  necessary  that  the  department  be 
well  arranged  so  that  you  can  take  your  customer  at  once 
to  the  merchandise  in  which  she  is  interested.  I  have  been 
in  some  floor-covering  departments  so  poorly  arranged 
that  even  the  salesmen  are  obUged  to  '* ask  the  boss"  where 
to  find  things.  Neatness  and  orderliness  have  a  definite 
psychological  influence. 

Too  little  attention  has  been  given  in  most  stores  to  the 
use  of  departmental  displays  of  merchandise.    Especially 

7 


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is  this  true  of  floor-covering  departments  generally.  Fur- 
niture must  have  floor  space,  and  the  floor-covering  man 
gets  the  comers  that  are  left. 

If  you  do  not  have  adequate  space  for  the  display  of 
merchandise  in  your  department,  here  is  an  opportunity 
to  show  what  a  good  salesman,  after  all,  you  are.  Sell 
the  idea  to  the  management  that  by  devoting  more  floor 
space  to  linoleum,  for  instance,  you  can  sell  more  goods. 

Remember  that  linoleum  is  not  a  mere  necessity,  like 
sugar,  but  has  become  one  of  the  decorative  essentials  of 
the  modem  home.  A  few  rolls  standing  on  end  in  a  corner 
will  not  get  this  thought  across,  however.  Suppose  you 
laid  a  roll  of  a  neat  matting  design  on  the  floor,  partly 
unrolling  the  goods,  face  up  to  view.  Upon  this,  as  a  floor, 
you  made  up  a  Mttle  setting  of  some  bedroom  furniture, 
including  an  easy  chair,  table,  a  decorative  lamp,  a  wo- 
man's workbasket,  etc.  A  suitable  card  telling  about  the 
advantages  of  linoleum  for  bedroom  floors  would  carry  a 
message  to  every  customer  who  entered  the  department. 
Such  a  display  would  be  a  silent  salesman  who  would  open 
the  way  for  you  to  talk  "Hnoleum  for  bedroom  floors"  to 
customers  who  were  interested  at  the  moment  in  hnoleum 
only  for  kitchens.  Here,  again,  a  favorable  impression  can 
be  turned  into  sales. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  SELF-STUDY 

1.  Is  your  store  advertised  "by  its  loving  friends"? 
Has  it  a  reputation  for  fair  dealing? 

2.  Are  you  proud  of  the  advertising  that  your  store  does 
in  tlic  local  papers?  Have  you  any  suggestions  to  offer 
to  your  Advertising  Manager? 

3.  Is  your  department  as  well  represented  as  it  should  be 
in  the  store's  advertising?  Do  you  get  your  share  of  win- 
dow displays? 

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4.  Have  you  ever  noticed  that  the  manufacturers  of 
such  advertised  lines  as  Whittall's  Rugs  and  Bissell's 
Carpet  Sweepers  continue  in  business  over  a  long  period  of 
years,  while  nonadvertised  lines  are  frequently  in  the 
market  to-day,  and  gone  to-morrow? 

5.  In  the  long  run,  which  will  it  pay  your  store  best  to 
handle — the  standardized  article  that  has  been  in  the 
market  for  years  or  the  nonadvertised  article  that  your 
customer  knows  nothing  about?  Suppose  that  no  manu- 
facturer had  ever  advertised  his  electric  suction  cleaners. 
How  many  years  would  it  have  taken  for  their  use  to  be- 
come well-nigh  universal,  as  at  present? 

6.  The  Armstrong  Cork  Company  is  educating  millions 
of  magazine  readers  to  the  fact  that  linoleum  makes  a  good 
floor,  either  over  old  wood  floors  or  in  new  houses.  Are 
you  making  any  effort  to  turn  this  educational  force  into 
sales  in  your  department? 

7.  Study  the  several  salesmen  in  your  department. 
What  impression  does  each  man  make  on  customers?  If 
you  were  a  customer,  from  which  salesman  would  you  like 
to  buy? 

Author's  Note: — In  going  through  the  files  of  the 
Armstrong  Cork  Company,  at  Lancaster,  I  found  a  great 
many  letters  which  were  a  revelation  to  me  of  the  manner 
in  which  educational  advertising  works.  These  letters 
were  from  architects,  builders,  retail  stores,  schools,  col- 
leges, and  business  men,  as  well  as  women  in  the  home.  I 
am  printing  here  a  few  extracts  to  give  you  an  idea  of  the 
way  people  are  becoming  more  and  more  "linoleum  con- 
scious" in  this  country  through  the  means  of  this  adver- 
tising. 

Here  is  a  letter  from  Paul  Harold  Bergreen,  Architectural 
Engineer,  of  Jackson,  Fla.     He  says: 

"Please  send  me  some  small  samples  of  linoleuni,  as  applied 
to  medium-priced  houses. 
**I  am  specializing  in  concrete  block  houses,  and  have  been 

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using  hardwood,  oak,  or  yellow  pine  floors.  Walls  are  being 
co¥ered  with  an  Alabastine  wall  tint,  generally  of  a  cool,  light 
color.  It  occurs  to  me  that  your  linoleum  might  also  be  good 
in  working  out  pleasing  color  schemes.  Please  send  me  samples 
and  tell  me  where  I  can  purchase  Armstrong's  Linoleum." 

How  about  the  architects  in  your  town  who  are  building 
medium-priced  houses?  All  of  them  have  received  lino- 
leum literature  and  are  reading  linoleum  advertisements 
each  month  in  their  architectural  magazines.  Perhaps 
your  architects  are  just  waiting  for  you  to  show  samples 
and  quote  prices. 

Here  is  a  letter  from  C.  G.  Lancaster,  an  architect  of 
Marshall,  Texas: 

"I  have  just  received,"  he  says,  "your  handbook,  'Arm- 
strong's Linoleum  Floors.'  I  am  very  much  pleased  with  it, 
and  feel  sure  I  can  interest  a  number  of  my  clients  in  linoleum 
floors,  as  they  are  just  the  thing  for  handsome  and  attractive 
interiors. 

"I  really  prefer  something  of  this  character  to  more  expensive 
wood  floors.  Just  now  I  am  preparing  sketches  for  remodeling 
an  old  residence,  and  have  suggested  to  my  client  that  she  use 
your  linoleum  over  the  old  floors.  The  living-room  is  25  ft.  x  15 
ft.  and  the  dining-room,  connected  by  French  doors,  is  17  ft.  x 
15  ft.    Pleaae  send  samples  of  a  suitable  design." 

Mr.  Lancaster  says  his  client  is  well  pleased  with  the 
linoleum  floors  he  specified  for  her  home. 


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Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

j4  Course  in  Retail  Selling 

By 

J.  G.  Pattee 


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LECTURE  IV 

Arousing  Interest 


Published  by 

Armstrong  Cork  Company,  Linoleum  Dept. 
Lancaster,  Pennsylvaxia 


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Copyright,  1921,  by 

Armstrong  Cork  Company 

Linoleum  Department 

Lancaster.  Pa. 


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Constructive   Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

LECTURE  IV 

The  Six  Steps  in  a  Sale 
J5.  Arousing  Interest 

Interest  is  Sustained  Attention:  —  Every  experi- 
enced salesman  knows  that  moment  in  a  sale  when  the  cus- 
tomer has  become  really  interested  in  the  merchandise  he  is 
showing  to  her.  Oftentimes  the  customer  expresses  interest 
in  so  many  words.  Sometimes  she  merely  shows  interest  in 
her  manner  and  attitude. 

Selling  goods  is  not  an  exact  science,  and  cannot  be  re- 
duced to  formula?.  The  ability  to  know  how  to  awaken 
the  customer's  interest  in  the  merchandise,  how  to  create 
desire  for  it,  and  how  to  close  the  sale  is  what  distinguishes 
a  good  salesman  from  a  poor  one. 

■  When  a  woman  enters  your  department  and  asks  to  be 
shown  some  specific  article  of  merchandise,  you  at  least 
have  her  attention.  How  to  interest  her  in  a  particular 
quality  or  design  is  the  next  step  in  the  mental'law  of 
sale. 

Arousing  Interest  by  Words: — First,  of  course,  before 
you  even  show  the  linoleum  you  have  on  the  floor,  you  will 


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Salesmanship 

LECTURE  IV 

The  Six  Steps  in  a  Sale 
J?.  Arousing  Interest 

Interest  is  Sustained  Attention:  —  Every  experi- 
enced salesman  knows  that  moment  in  a  sale  when  the  cus- 
tomer has  become  really  interested  in  the  merchandise  he  is 
showing  to  her.  Oftentimes  the  customer  expresses  interest 
in  so  many  words.  Sometimes  she  merely  shows  interest  in 
her  manner  and  attitude. 

Selling  goods  is  not  an  exact  science,  and 'cannot  be  re- 
duced to  formulae.  The  ability  to  know  how  to  awaken 
the  customer's  interest  in  the  merchandise,  how  to  create 
desire  for  it,  and  how  to  close  the  sale  is  what  distinguishes 
a  good  salesman  from  a  poor  one. 
■  When  a  woman  enters  your  department  and  asks  to  be 
shown  some  specific  article  of  merchandise,  you  at  least 
have  her  attention.  How  to  interest  her  in  a  particular 
quality  or  design  is  the  next  step  in  the  mentaliaw  of 
sale. 

Arousing  Interest  by  Words:— F'vcst,  of  course,  before 
you  even  show  the  linoleum  you  have  on  the  floor,  you  will 

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get  some  important  facts  from  the  customer.   These  facts 

may  be  itemized  something  Hke  this: 

1.  Where  is  the  Hnoleum  to  be  used? 

2.  The  size  of  the  room? 

3.  About  what  price  does  she  want  to  pay? 

4.  Does  she  own  her  honi(%  oi-  is  she  a  renter? 

5.  Will  she  consider  a  good  (juahty  of  inhiid  hnoleum,  or 
does  slie  prefer  printed  Hnoleum? 

A  tactful  salesman  can  get  tin's  information  by  a  very  few 
simple  questions  and  witliout  seeming  to  impose  on  the 
customer's  good  nature.  Oftentimes  he  will  decide  what 
quahty  of  linoleum  to  show  the  customer  merely  from  her 
general  appearance.  It  is  nearly  always  safe  to  show  better 
grades  of  linoleum  first.  The  customer  will  quickly  indicate 
whether  or  not  the  goods  are  within  her  price  range. 

With  a  clear  idea  of  about  what  kind  of  linoleum  the  cus- 
tomer desires  and  is  able  to  buy,  the  salesman  then  must 
arouse  interest  in  the  specific  patterns  he  has  for  sale.  As 
selling  merchandise  is  a  mental  process,  the  salesman  must 
make  his  customer  feel  from  the  outset  that  he  is  there  to 
serve  and  to  help.  Upon  such  a  basis  of  mutual  interest 
and  confidence,  the  sale  proceeds  smoothly.  But  let  the 
customer  once  detect  a  note  of  insincerity  or  overexaggera- 
t»n,  and  her  confidence  and  interest  vanish.  More  sales 
are  "kiied"  through  overanxiety  to  sell  than  because  the 
salesman  failed  to  "force"  the  sale. 

Amumng  interest  %  Action:— In  all  selling,  rememr 
ber  that  the  eye  is  twenty  times  as  effective  as  the  ear  in  the 
impressions  it  makes  on  the  human  brain.  Never  tell  a 
customer  anything  you  can  possibly  show  her.  Just  as  in 
the  purchase  of  a  fine  rug  or  the  buying  of  a  hat,  the  ele- 
ment of  personal  taste  enters  more  largely  into  the  selling 
of  linoleum  now  than  ever  before. 


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Consider  the  situation  for  a  moment.  Your  customer  has 
her  own  distinct  personality  and  ideas  of  what  her  home 
should  be  like.  After  you  have  narrowed  down  the  choice 
to  two  or  three  linoleum  patterns  or  colorings  that  she  can 
afford  to  buy,  then  she  must  decide  "how  it  will  look"  in 
her  home. 

Here  the  salesman  who  has  a  grasp  of  the  elementary 
principles  of  decoration  can  be  of  real  service.  If  the 
woman  is  looking  for  linoleum  for  a  bedroom,  for  instance, 
in  a  few  words  he  will  ask  about  the  kind  of  furniture  in 
the  room,  the  woodwork,  wall-paper,  and  draperies.  By 
the  very  act  of  bringing  these  questions  to  the  fore  in  the 
woman's  mind,  he  will  be  helping  her  reach  a  decision  as 
to  the  particular  design  or  coloring  that  will  fit  her  room 
best. 

Perhaps  the  decorative  note  the  woman  has  in  mind  is 
Ught  blue. 

"Here  is  a  design  that  will  harmonize  very  nicely  with 
light  blue,"  says  the  salesman.  "It  is  also  dark  enough  to 
go  with  your  walnut  furniture,  and  affords  a  pleasing  con- 
trast to  the  white  woodwork." 

Thus  the  salesman  helps  the  woman  work  out  the  solu- 
tion of  her  problem. 

Where  the  decorative  use  of  linoleum  is  to  be  considered, 
a  book  of  drapery  samples,  also  a  wall-paper  sample  book 
will  be  found  of  material  service.  By  throwing  a  bit  of 
drapery  agamst  the  hnoleum,  its  color  values  can  be 
brought  out.  The  relation  of  the  floor  to  the  walls  of  a 
room  can  readily  be  demonstrated  by  means  of  an  appro- 
priate selection  of  wall-paper.  The  fact  that  linoleum  is 
a  floor  upon  which  fabric  rugs  are  laid,  as  over  any  floor, 
can  easily  be  shown  to  the  eye  by  throwing  the  edge  of 
a  rug  over  the  linoleum  as  it  lies,  partly  unrolled,  on  the 
floor. 

3 


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J.  H.  Larson,  of  A.  H.  Heilman  &  Company,  Williams- 
port,  Pa.,  sa3rs  that  he  believes  one  reason  that  his  depart- 
ment sells  so  much  linoleum  is  because  all  the  salesmen 
show  the  full  rolls  on  the  floor.  This  gives  the  customer, 
he  believes,  a  better  idea  of  how  the  linoleum  will  appear 
on  the  floor  of  her  home. 

When  a  woman  is  hesitating  between  one  or  two  pat- 
terns, then  the  salesman,  by  showing  her  "how  it  will 
look,"  keeps  her  interest  ahve  and  hastens  her  decision  by 
the  action  of  spreading  out  the  linoleum  for  her  to  see  it. 

Jrouiilif  imtereat  by  Suggestion:— But,  you  say,  so 
many  customers  have  such  vague  ideas  about  what  they 
want.  Such  cases  immediately  caU  for  the  salesman's  sug- 
gestions. Suggestions  are  usuafly  welcome  when  they  show 
good  judgment.  Too  many  times,  however,  they  are 
apparently  made  by  salesmen  with  only  one  thought,  the 
desire  to  make  a  sale  regardless  of  the  customer's  interests. 

If  by  your  questions  you  can  make  your  customer  feel 
that  you  know  what  you  are  talking  about,  and  that  you 
are  able  to  give  her  ideas  and  suggestions  that  will  be  help- 
ful, she  will  be  content  to  leave  the  matter  of  a  selection 
pretty  much  in  your  hands.  But  you  must  be  careful  to 
Lw  out  her  ideL  so  that  when  the  goods  are  in  her  home 
she  will  feel  that  she  made  the  choice,  and  that  she  was 
not  "sold"  something  against  her  will.  After  all,  you  are 
not  selling  so  many  yards  of  linoleum,  but  you  are  selling 
so  much'satisfactfon.  If,  two  or  th;ee  ye'ars  later,  the 
woman  stii  refers  to  her  linoleum  floor  with  pride  and  still 
recalls  the  help  that  you  gave  her  in  selecting  it,  then  the 
sale  you  made  was  truly  a  successful  one. 

Imierest  Bmn  of  Knowledge: — To  successfully  de- 
velop and  keep  the  interest  of  the  customer  requires  a 
logical  arrangement  of  your  selling  arguments  and  sug- 

gestiona.    This  is  possible  only  when  you,  yourself,  are 

4 


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thoroughly  saturated  with  the  necessary  knowledge.  The 
selling  of  linoleum  will  soon  cease  to  be  dull  when  you 
feel  that  you  have  contributed  to  making  many  homes 
in  your  community  more  attractive,  and  that  you  have 
assisted  your  customers  in  buying  just  the  grade,  pattern, 
and  coloring  that  will  suit  their  needs.  Viewed  in  this 
light,  selling  linoleum  is  not  a  prosaic  means  of  getting  a 
livelihood.  It  is  a  dignified  service  that  adds  to  the  sum  of 
human  comfort  and  happiness.  Your  job  is  a  bigger  job, 
according  to  the  spirit  and  knowledge  that  you  put  into  it. 
Mr.  Frank  Alvah  Parsons,  President  of  the  New  York 
School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art,  in  his  book,  "The  Art  of 
Home  Furnishing  and  Decoration,"  explains  some  funda- 
mental ideas  that  every  floor-covering  salesman  ought  to 
know.  This  book  was  written  especially  for  the  Armstrong 
Cork  Company.  It  includes  a  group  of  colorplates  of  home 
interiors  with  linoleum  floors,  arranged  in  good  taste.  I  have 
read  this  book  with  interest  and  profit  myself,  and  I  know 
that  you  will  find  a  copy  of  real  benefit  to  you.  The  color- 
plates  will  tell  your  customers  more  about  the  decorative 
use  of  linoleum  floors  than  hours  of  talking  on  your  part. 
If  you  are  really  interested  in  this  subject,  send  twenty 
cents  in  stamps,  less  than  half  the  actual  cost,  for  a  copy, 
to  the  Armstrong  Cork  Company,  Lancaster,  Pa.  Which 
will  it  be — twenty  cents  for  a  soda  or  cigarettes  or  for  a 
book  that  will  make  you  a  more  efficient  salesman?  There, 
fellows,  is  a  real  test  of  your  sincerity  in  wanting  to  cUmb 
up  the  ladder  of  success. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  SELF-STUDY 

1.  Do  you  talk  too  much  as  a  salesman  and  show  too 
Uttle? 

2.  How  much  time  have  you  given  to  the  study  of  home 
decoration?    Do  you  read  the  good  trade  magazines? 

5 


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3.  Are  you  growing  in  your  knowledge,  not  only  of  mer- 
diandise  but  of  its  uses? 

4.  If  the  customer  "does  not  see  anything  she  wants," 
how  do  you  try  to  quicken  her  interest  in  some  particular 
pattern  or  cok)nng? 

5.  Arc  you  able  to  talk  interestingly  about  your  mer- 
chandise? Is  your  vocabulary  alive  with  fresh  phrases,  or 
do  you  have  but  one  or  two  words  at  your  command? 

6.  Do  your  customers  feel  that  you  are  perfectly  willing 
to  show  goods  as  long  as  necessary,  or  do  you  easily  grow 
impatient  when  the  customer  fails  to  make  up  her  mind? 

Authors  Note:-kB  a  younger  salesman  it  was  always 
my  practice  to  develop  my  selling  vocabulary  by  copying 
down  words  and  phrases  that  applied  to  the  lines  I  sold.  I 
have  grouped  here  some  suggestive  phrases  that  I  should 
use  if  I  were  selling  linoleum.  Study  over  this  list,  and  then 
take  pencil  and  paper  and  see  how  many  of  them  you  can 
write  down  from  memory.  Don't  be  tongue-tied.  By 
studying  this  list  you  can  learn  how  always  to  have  the 
right  phrase  on  the  tip  of  the  tongue. 

LINOLEUM  SELLING  PHRASES 

Linoleum  Floors  Are  Artistic 

A  logical  floor 

Blend  with  your  color  scheme 

Bright,  cheerful  patterns 

Interesting  decorative  effects 

Rich,  mellow  tones 

Dainty,  subdued  hues 

Exclusive  designs 

A  sensible,  artistic  floor 

Superb  backgrounds  for  your  rugs 

Linoleum  Floors  Are  Comfortable 

Soft  and  resilient  under  foot 
Warm  in  winter;  cool  in  summer 
Fine  for  romping  cMldren-no  hard  bumps  or  falls 

6 


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Linoleum  Floors  Are  Sanitary 
No  cracks  or  crevices  to  catch  dirt 
You  know  how  easy  linoleum  is  to  keep  clean— just 

use  a  damp  mop 
Germicidal  properties 
Most  sanitary  floor  known 
Promote  Ix^ttVr  lieallli 

Linoleum  Floors  Are  Practical 
Cost  less  (hiiii  wood 
Wear  longer 

New  floors  for  old  m(  less  expense 
Wear  like  iron  —on  inlaids  the  colors  go  through  to 

the  burlap  back 
Hard  to  scratch 
Continual  source  of  satisfaction 
Fulfill  all  requirements 
Lighten  the  housework 

SINGLE  WORD  SELLING  SUGGESTIONS 


w 


Adaptable 

Appropriate 

Artistic 

Cheery 

Clean 

Comfortable 

Dainty 

Dignified 

Durable 

Economical 

Elastic 


Exclusive 

Good-looking 

Harmonious 

Impressive 

Inexpensive 

Inviting 

Labor-Saving 

Noiseless 

Permanent 

Practical 

Quiet 

Resilient 


Sanitary 

Satisfactory 

Sensible 

Serviceable 

Sightly 

Smart 

Spick  and  span 

Striking 

Tough 

Utility 

Unobtrusive 


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Here^s  My  Answer! 

Dear  Mr.  Pattee: 

Yes,  sir,  I  want  to  improve  myself  as  a  salesman,  and  I 
am  willing  to  invest  twenty  cents  in  Mr.  Parsons'  book.  I 
am  going  to  read  the  book  carefully  when  it  comes,  and  will 
try  to  use  some  of  the  information  it  contains  in  my  work 
as  a  salesman. 

Name 

With 

f  »  Jl  %tJLM. 

{Name  of  Store) 

Home  Address 

City State 


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Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

A  Course  in  Retail  Selling- 

By 
J.  G.  Pattee 


LECTURE  V 

Creating  Desire 


Published  by 

Armstrong  Cork  Company,  Linoleum  Dept. 
Lancaster,  Pennsylvania 


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Copyright,  1921,  by 

Armbtbong  Cork  Compant 

Linoleum  Dbpabthent 


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Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

LECTURE  V 

The  Six  Steps  in  a  Sale 

C.  Creating  Desire 

Turning  Interest  into  Desire:— Because  the  cus- 
tomer's interest  is  aroused  does  not  always  imply  that  she 
is  ready  to  buy.  Her  interest  may  be  nothinj^  but  curiosity. 
Such  a  customer  is  always  harxl  to  deal  with.  Most  sales- 
men dislike  the  ''looker";  they  hate  to  spend  time  showing 
goods  when  they  feel  the  customer  does  not  intend  to  buy. 

For  many  years  I  have  made  a  good  portion  of  my  living 
by  selling  on  a  commission  basis.  I  like  to  get  hold  of  a 
''live  one"  as  well  as  the  next  man.  I  know  that,  as  the 
saying  goes,  it  is  the  total  of  sales  in  the  order  book  that 
talks  loudest  to  the  "boss." 

But  when  I  stop  to  think  again  that  my  function  as  a 
salesman  is  to  render  service,  and  that  any  service  well 
performed  will  bring  its  reward,  I  am  more  content  to  be 
courteous  and  patient  with  the  so-called  "window  shop- 
per." If  I  were  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store,  much  of  my  time 
would  be  spent  in  merely  handing  out  the  goods  that  the 

customers  asked  for.    But  as  a  salesman  in  the  furniture 

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Constructive   Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

LECTURE  V 

The  Six  Steps  in  a  Sale 

C.  Creating  Desire 

Turning  Interest  into  Desire: — Because  the  cus- 
tomer's interest  is  aroused  does  not  always  imply  that  she 
is  ready  to  buy.  Her  interest  may  be  nothing  but  curiosity. 
Such  a  customer  is  always  hard  to  deal  with.  Most  sales- 
men dislike  the  "  looker  " ;  they  hate  to  spend  time  showing 
goods  when  they  feel  the  customer  does  not  intend  to  buy. 

For  many  years  I  have  made  a  good  portion  of  my  living 
by  selling  on  a  commission  basis.  I  like  to  get  hold  of  a 
"live  one"  as  well  as  the  next  man.  I  know  that,  as  the 
saying  goes,  it  is  the  total  of  sales  in  the  order  book  that 
talks  loudest  to  the  "boss." 

But  when  I  stop  to  think  again  that  my  function  as  a 
salesman  is  to  render  service,  and  that  any  service  weU 
performed  will  bring  its  reward,  I  am  more  content  to  be 
courteous  and  patient  with  the  so-called  "window  shop- 
per." If  I  were  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store,  much  of  my  time 
would  be  spent  in  merely  handing  out  the  goods  that  the 
customers  asked  for.    But  as  a  salesman  in  the  furniture 

1 


i 


or  floor-covermg  department,  I  am  more  than  a  mere  order 
taker.  I  am  an  expert  adviser  on  matters  relating  to  home 
decoration.  People  come  to  me  for  ideas  and  suggestions. 
If  I  know  my  business,  sooner  or  later  they  are  going  to  buy 
goods  from  me,  because  they  have  confidence  in  my  judg- 
ment. 

Every  time  a  woman  picks  up  a  magazine  nowadays  she 
reads  some  article  .^rding  the  home.  Her  natural  in- 
stincts  to  have  her  home  just  as  beautiful  as  she  can  afford 
to  make  it  are  quickened.  The  advertisements  of  furniture, 
rugs,  draperies,  lace  curtains,  linoleum  floors,  etc.,  all 
arouse  her  interest  and  stimulate  her  desire  to  see.  Women 
like  to  shop,  to  visit  the  stores  to  see  the  new  merchandise 
that  the  great  merchants  have  gathered  together  from  all 
the  quarters  of  the  globe,  and  have  placed  at  the  command 
of  the  average  customer. 

Let  us  take  a  concrete  example.  Suppose  a  woman  has 
seen  one  of  the  Armstrong  color  pages  of  a  fine  home  in- 
terior.  The  picture  shows  comfortable,  well-selected  furni- 
ture,  modem  ideas  in  draperies,  pleasing  wall  paper,  and 
an  appropriate  linoleum  floor,  covered  with  rugs  in  har- 
monious design  and  coloring,  all  blending  to  make  a  really 
attractive  room.  The  "  copy  "  tells  her  that  linoleum  floors 
are  used  nowadays  as  a  part  of  the  color  scheme,  and  she 
is  urged  to  go  to  a  good  store  near  her  and  see  the  modern 
linoleum  designs  for  living-rooms,  dining-rooms,  bed- 
rooms,  and  the  sim  porch. 

When  this  woman  enters  your  Linoleum  Department 
you,  m  a  salesman,  have  a  real  opportunity  to  prove  your 
worth.  Here  is  a  chance  to  transform  a  lukewarm  interest 
into  desire.  True,  the  woman  may  not  be  ready  or  able  to 
buy  today,  but  perhaps  she  is  planning  to  redecorate  one 
or  more  rooms  in  her  home  in  the  fall  or  spring,  as  the  case 
may  be.   As  a  salesman,  your  function  is  to  sell  her  an  idea, 

2 


T#    1 


and  to  create  in  her  mind  a  desire  for  new  linoleum  floors 
in  her  home  instead  of  old,  shabby,  wood  floors. 

If  you  are  really  successful  in  creating  such  a  desire,  the 
chances  are  she  may  agree  to  your  sending  a  man  out  to 
measure  her  rooms  and  to  give  her  an  estimate  of  the  cost. 
Or  she  may  permit  you  to  call  upon  her  later  in  her  home 
with  large  lithographs  of  selected  patterns  which  you  can 
place  on  the  floor  to  show  her  just  how  the  patterns  or 
colorings  in  which  she  is  interested  will  harmonize  with 
her  rugs  and  fit  into  the  room. 

Surely  this  sort  of  work  requires  a  higher  degree  of  sales- 
manship than  writing  down  an  order  for  groceries.  And 
the  encouraging  thing  is  that  if,  through  your  ability  to 
give  service,  you  are  able  to  close  a  sale  you  will  have  made 
another  friend  for  yourself  and  for  your  store.  Your  cus- 
tomer will  show  her  beautiful  linoleum  floors  to  her  friends 
with  pride.  She  will  send  them  to  you.  Thus  a  single  sale, 
well  handled,  may  develop  into  a  volume  of  business  that 
will  prove  most  satisfactory  to  you  and  to  the  head  of  your 
department. 

The  Price  Appeal: — During  the  war  period,  when 
prices  doubled  and  even  trebled,  the  market  became 
flooded  with  all  sorts  of  substitutes  for  reliable  merchan- 
dise, the  sale  of  which  was  based  largely  on  the  price  appeal 
only.  Hundreds  of  salesmen  fell  into  the  habit  of  selling 
on  price  because  it  is  easier  to  sell  a  cheap  article  than  the 
article  that  costs  more — but  is  worth  it.  I  have  found  by 
long,  personal  experience  that  too  many  salesmen  follow 
the  line  of  least  resistance.  The  lazy  man  will  let  the  cus- 
tomer buy  the  cheap,  inferior  article,  which  he  knows  will 
not  give  satisfaction,  to  avoid  the  mental  effort  of  explain- 
ing why  it  is  to  her  advantage  to  pay  a  little  more  and  get 
better  service. 

Please  understand  that  I  fully  reahze  that  every  store 

3 


must  carry  a  good  assortment  of  merchandise  in  the  various 
grades  and  at  various  prices.  For  instance,  during  the  war, 
when  linoleum  prices  were  increased,  due  to  the  fact  that 
most  of  the  raw  material  that  enters  into  the  manufacture 
of  linoleum  is  imported  from  abroad,  we  saw  a  considerable 
development  in  the  manufacture  of  felt  base  floor  cover- 
ings. Several  of  the  Unoleum  manufacturers  themselves, 
unable  to  get  all  the  necessary  raw  materials  for  the  making 
of  linoleum,  began  to  manufacture  felt  base  goods. 

But  because  felt  base,  printed  to  look  like  Unoleum,  could 
be  sold  at  a  less  priee,  quite  a  number  of  stores  and  sales- 
men fell  into  the  lazy  habit  of  not  only  selHng  the  felt  base 
substitute  instead  of  linoleum,  but  even  offering  it  as 
linoleum.  In  fact,  one  manufacturing  concern  actually 
sold  their  felt  base  product  under  the  name  of  Hnoleum 
until  the  Federal  Trade  Commission  ordered  them  to  cease 
this  practice  forthwith. 

It  is  true  that  cheaper  substitutes  for  high-grade,  re- 
liable merchandise  have  their  place  in  the  retail  store. 
They  should  be  sold,  however,  only  when  the  salesman  is 
convinced  that  the  customer  cannot  afford  to  buy  the  more 
satisfactory  goods.  There  is  no  gainsaying  the  fact  that, 
averaged  over  a  period  of  years,  a  standard  make  of  Uno- 
leum, properly  cared  for,  is  really  the  cheapest  in  the  end. 
If  you  are  a  real  salesman,  you  will  create  desire  for  good 
merchandise.  That  is  one  of  the  vital  steps  in  the  making 
of  a  satisfactory  sale. 

Omrmmmm§  Objectiom:—Mmt  of  us  want  to  be 
shown.  It  is  not  enough  for  the  manufacturer  to  say  in  his 
advertising  that  Unoleum  makes  a  good  floor  for  a  living- 
room  nor  is  it  sufficient  for  you,  as  a  salesman,  to  say  that 
linoleum  is  now  recommended  for  Uving-rooms.  What 
proof  have  you  to  offer? 
Here  let  us  do  a  little  figuring.   In  normal  times,  what  do 

4 


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.  I  '^ 


lit- 4 


you  consider  to  be  a  good  year's  business  in  Unoleum  in 
your  store,  figured  in  yards?  Have  you  ever  made  an 
analysis  of  where  this  linoleum  goes?  Such  an  analysis 
might  take  the  following  form: 

No.  of  yards  sold  for  kitchens  and  pantries 

No.  of  yards  sold  for  bathrooms  

No.  of  yards  sold  for  entryways,  halls,  etc.    -  

No.  of  yards  sold  for  offices,  schools,  churches,  business  in- 
stallations of  all  kinds  

This  list  represents  the  average  retail  store's  outlet  for 
linoleum.  But  suppose  you  are  able  to  seU  Unoleum  for  bed- 
rooms, dining-rooms,  sun  porches,  and  living-rooms,  either 
in  old  houses  or  in  new  houses.  Here  is  a  field  for  linoleum 
sales  that  is  largely  undeveloped.  If  your  linoleum  business 
is  to  grow,  is  this  field  not  the  logical  one  to  which  you  can 
weU  afford  to  devote  time  and  energy? 

To  prove  to  the  people  of  Indianapolis  and  vicinity  that 
linoleum  does  make  a  good  floor  for  every  room  in  the 
house,  the  Taylor  Carpet  Company,  of  Indianapolis,  put 
linoleum  floors  down  throughout  aU  the  rooms  of  their 
model  bungalow  at  the  State  Fair  Grounds.  Thousands  of 
people  from  all  over  Indiana  visit  this  bungalow  each  year. 
They  see,  with  their  own  eyes,  what  Unoleum  floors  look  Uke. 

According  to  Mr.  W.  A.  Armstrong,  head  of  the  Floor- 
Covering  Department,  this  bungalow  has  proved  to  be  one 
of  the  finest  forms  of  advertising  the  Taylor  store  ever  did. 
"Seeing  is  believing,"  and  scores  of  people  have  purchased 
Hnoleum  floors  at  the  Taylor  Store. 

To  further  demonstrate  what  linoleum  floors  look  like, 
the  Taylor  store  has  a  linoleum  floor  display  in  the  Lino- 
leum Department,  and  also  makes  frequent  use  of  window 
displays.  As  a  result,  their  sales  of  Unoleum  for  bedrooms, 
Uving-rooms,  dining-rooms,  and  sun  porches  have  grown 

tremendously  in  the  past  three  years. 

5 


i 


Mr.  0.  T.  O'Leary,  of  the  Jordan  Marsh  Company,  of 
Boston,  Mass.,  years  ago  saw  that  the  way  to  sell  linoleum 
as  a  floor  was  to  demonstrate  it.  Accordingly  he  secured 
the  consent  of  the  management  of  the  store  to  put  down 
linoleum  floors  in  each  of  the  full-sized  model  rooms  which 
had  been  a  feature  of  the  Jordan  Marsh  store  for  many 
years.  These  rooms  are  beautifully  furnished  and  deco- 
rated. Fine  Oriental  rugs  are  laid  over  the  linoleum  floors, 
which  are  just  as  much  a  part  of  the  color  scheme  as  the 
draperies  or  any  other  feature  of  the  room. 

"We  have  sold  hundreds  of  yards  of  linoleum  direct  from 
these  demonstration  floors,"  says  Mr.  O'Leary.  "They 
tell  better  than  any  salesman  could  what  fine  floors  lino- 
leum makes." 

There  must  always  be  a  starting  point  with  any  new 
idea.  The  first  sales  you  make  of  linoleum  floors  for  living- 
roonos  or  bedrooms  are  the  most  important  sales  you  ever 
make.  You  must  see  these  floors,  properly  installed  and 
properly  cared  for,  in  actual  homes.  Then  you  can  speak 
with  the  utmost  confidence  to  prospective  purchasers. 

"I  sold  a  linoleum  floor  of  this  particular  design  to  Mrs. 
R.  A.  Williams,  of  North  Washington  Street,"  you  will  say 
to  a  customer.  "She  is  delighted  with  it  because  it  is  so 
much  easier  to  take  care  of  than  a  wood  floor,  and  it  adds 
so  much  to  the  appearance  of  her  room." 

If  Mrs.  Williams'  home  is  equally  as  good  or  better  than 
your  customer's,  her  doubts  as  to  whether  "it  is  being 
done  "  will  vanish.  And  every  new  sale  adds  to  the  growing 
list  of  homes  with  linoleum  floors  to  which  you  can  refer. 

Another  serious  objection  that  women  have  to  linoleum 
as  a  floor  would  be  eliminated  if  every  salesman  would 
insist  upon  its  being  laid  properly.  The  best  method  yet 
developed  scientifically  for  laying  linoleum  will  be  dis- 
cussed in  a  later  lecture. 


r 


-If 


it 


I 


But  in  your  own  home  you  want  your  floors  to  be  well 
finished  in  appearance,  and  to  look  as  well  a  year  from  now 
as  they  do  when  you  put  them  in.  Even  in  your  kitchen 
you  do  not  want  a  floor  that  is  likely  to  buckle,  bulge,  or 
stretch.  Then  why  is  it  that  you  will  sell  linoleum,  know- 
ing that  the  customer  cannot  be  expected  to  lay  it  properly 
or,  worse  still,  knowing  that  your  own  linoleum  layer  does 
not  make  a  good  job  of  fitting  at  the  seams  and  edges  and 
that,  in  time,  the  linoleum  will  pull  away  at  the  brads  and 
present  an  unsightly,  unattractive  appearance? 

When  you  tell  a  woman  that  linoleum  makes  a  sanitary 
floor,  are  you  sure  it  is  going  to  be  laid  so  that  it  really  will 
be  sanitary?  Suppose  her  husband  is  a  physician.  He 
knows  that  germs  and  dust  collect  at  seams  that  have 
sprung  open.  To  be  perfectly  sanitary,  a  linoleum  floor 
must  be  watertight.  Does  your  store  lay  watertight  lino- 
leum floors,  or  are  you  content  to  sell  linoleum  and  have  it 
laid  by  old-fashioned  methods  in  vogue  twenty  years  ago? 

When  a  customer  begins  to  offer  objections,  it  does  not 
mean  she  is  not  interested.  Quite  the  opposite,  it  means 
that  she  is  a  whole  lot  nearer  being  sold  than  she  is  willing 
to  admit.  It  is  your  job  to  overcome  these  objections  by 
giving  her  the  facts  that  will  satisfy  her  mind.  If  you  know 
your  merchandise,  you  can  steadily  gain  her  confidence  by 
the  clear  way  in  which  you  answer  her  questions,  and  thus 
steadily  bring  her  nearer  a  decision. 

Appeal  to  the  Imagination: — There  is  no  surer  way 
of  creating  a  desire  than  by  appealing  to  the  imagination. 
No  one  is  interested  merely  in  an  article  itself.  We  buy 
merchandise  for  use,  to  wear,  to  have  in  our  homes,  to 
show  to  our  friends,  to  add  to  our  comfort  and  happiness. 
You  have  aroused  interest  by  showing  the  merchandise, 
now  you  can  create  the  desire  to  possess  by  appealing  to  the 

imagination. 

7 


9"i        •>  ** 


II 


I 


1 


♦ 


( 


One  of  the  most  effective  illustrations  of  selling  by  ap- 
pealing to  the  imagination  is  the  insurance  salesman. 
When  he  sits  down  to  talk  to  you,  he  hasn't  a  single  tangi- 
ble thing  to  offer,  but  he  paints  for  you  a  vivid  picture  of 
the  needs  of  your  family,  should  you  be  taken  from  them. 
He  suggests  to  you  the  hardship  and  suffering  that  will 
follow  unless  you  carry  enough  insurance.  He  graphically 
illustrates  his  sales  talk  by  telling  you  about  actual  cases, 
some  of  which  are  known  to  you  personally.  Purely  by  the 
appeal  to  the  imagination  he  makes  you  feel  that  you  will 
not  be  satisfied  unless  you  carry  an  adequate  amount  of 
protection  for  your  family.  This  is  salesmanship  of  a 
high  order. 

.  Often  in  selhng  linoleum  an  appeal  to  the  imagination 
could  be  made  through  pictures  or  colorplates  illustrating 
your  sales  talk.  These  help  the  customer  visualize  to  her- 
self how  linoleum  floors  actually  look.  As  she  pictures 
such  a  floor  in  her  own  home,  desire  to  possess  that  par- 
ticular floor  grows  upon  her. 

Here  is  a  practical  suggestion.  Take  a  little  time  some 
day  to  go  throughout  the  various  departments  in  your  own 
store  and,  if  you  can,  visit  other  stores  as  well.  Watch  the 
silk  salesman  as  he  drapes  a  length  or  two  of  foulard  so 
that  the  customer  can  imagine  how  it  will  look  in  the  gown. 
In  the  custom  tailoring  department,  note  the  pictures  of 
current  styles.  Whenever  circumstances  will  permit,  the 
window  trimmer  stages  settings  of  merchandise  to  suggest 
their  use — all  for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  desire. 

Appeal  to  the  imagination  requires  a  ready  command  of 
good  English.  It  means  cultivating  the  voice  so  that  it 
will  be  pleasing,  clear,  distinct.  Much  of  the  persuasive- 
ness of  the  orator  lies  in  his  choice  of  words  and  in  his  voice. 
You  can  study  to  improve  yourself  in  both  of  these  respects 
with  profit. 


-4 


f 


i 


An  Art — not  a  Science: — How  to  create  desire  for  the 
goods  you  have  to  sell  cannot  be  learned  in  a  day,  but  only 
by  experience.  The  trouble  is  that  too  many  of  us  sales- 
men are  content  with  rough-and-ready  methods.  We  do  not 
seek  to  perfect  ourselves.  We  do  not  truly  learn  by  ex- 
perience. Every  salesman  must  develop  a  style  of  sales- 
manship all  his  own— one  that  will  suit  his  own  personality. 
And  yet  we  can  learn  much  through  observation.  Pick 
out  the  good  salesmen  in  your  store,  the  men  whom  cus- 
tomers ask  for.  Watch  them  at  work.  Ask  them  for 
pointers.  They  will  tell  you  much  that  will  be  helpful  to 
you — and  some  of  the  things  they  tell  you  you  will  have  to 
take  with  a  grain  of  salt.  All  of  us  are  human,  and  we  think 
that  our  way  of  doing  is  just  a  little  better  than  the  other 
fellow's. 

Above  all,  study  folks.  If  you  find  a  certain  phrase  or 
argument  makes  an  appeal,  remember  it  and  use  it  again. 
Modify  it  to  suit  your  case.  Thus  you  will  grow  and 
develop. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  SELF-STUDY 

1.  How  would  you  handle  this  case:  Mrs.  Fred  H. 
Ingham  visits  your  department  and  asks  for  some  linoleum 
for  her  kitchen.  You  skilfully  ask  a  question;  she  tells 
you  that  she  is  living  in  an  old  house,  and  that  she  has 
trouble  with  her  floors.  What  arguments  would  you  use 
with  Mrs.  Ingham  to  create  a  desire  in  her  mind  to  have 
new  linoleum  floors  put  down  over  her  wood  floors?  How 
would  you  demonstrate  to  her  just  how  linoleum  floors 
would  look  in  her  home? 

2.  Would  you  consider  it  worth  while  to  go  to  the  ex- 
pense of  having  photographs  taken  of  attractive  rooms  in 
customers'  homes  where  you  had  laid  linoleum  floors? 
What  use  would  you  make  of  such  photographs  in  selling? 

9 


*•■   i 


3.  List  the  following  arguments  in  favor  of  linoleum 
floors  in  what  you  consider  to  be  their  order  of  importance : 

Save  housework 

Comfortable 

A  good  floor  on  which  to  lay  rugs 

Blend  with  the  color  scheme 

Durable 

Inexpensive 

Modem  and  up-to-date 

Sanitary 

4.  Make  a  list  of  the  principal  objections  to  the  use  of 
linoleum  as  a  floor  for  every  room  in  the  house.  How 
would  you  overcome  each  of  these  objections? 

5.  Does  your  interest  in  the  sale  end  when  you  take  the 
order  or  are  you,  as  a  salesman,  concerned  with  seeing  that 
the  linoleum  floor  is  laid  to  give  good  satisfaction? 

6.  Do  you  sell  merchandise  or  price? 

Author's  Note: — The  following  are  some  extracts  taken 
from  letters  addressed  to  the  Armstrong  Cork  Company, 
Linoleum  Department,  by  consumers.  Suppose  these 
letters  were  sent  to  you  to  follow  up  personally.  How 
would  you  sell  linoleum  floors  to  these  prospects? 

This  letter  came  from  Ft.  Gaines,  Ga. : 

"I  wish  to  cover  my  entire  house  of  five  rooms  and  long  hall 
solid  with  linoleum.  Please  advise  if  you  have  it  in  large  enough 
pieces  to  fit  accurately  from  wall  to  wall.  My  hall  is  8  ft.  wide 
by  35  ft.  long,  the  largest  room  15  ft.  by  16  ft.  I  want  to  cover 
the  entire  floor  with  one  pattern  that  will  harmonize  with  my 
rugs." 

Here  is  an  inquiry  from  Nashville,  Tenn.: 

"We  are  getting  ready  to  move  into  an  old-fashioned  two- 
story  brick  residence,  and  I  want  your  assistance  in  planning 
suitable  color  schemes.  I  like  light  tan  and  old  rose.  The 
dining-room  furniture  is  golden  oak,  massive  in  style;  the  bed- 
room furniture  is  brown  walnut,  heavily  carved,  and  all  the 
pieces  large  and  highly  polished.    The  living-room  furniture  is 

10 


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upholstered  in  old-time  plush.     I  thought  of  slip  covers  to 

harmonize  with  the  color  scheme.    The  bookcases  are  dark  oak. 

"The  hall,  dining-room,  and  living-room  open  into  each  other. 

What  sort  of  a  linoleum  floor  would  you  advise  for  these  rooms?  " 

This  letter  is  from  Doy  lest  own,  Ohio: 

"We  expect  to  do  over  all  of  our  floors  in  the  spring  and  want 
something  on  the  order  of  your  parquetry  inlaids  which  you 
advertise  in  the  magazines  for  the  entire  floor  of  the  music  room, 
living-room,  library,  and  dining-room,  also  something  simple 
for  the  bedrooms. 

"I  am  also  interested  in  the  plain  and  jasp6  linoleums  in  grays 
and  browns.    Which  would  you  advise  for  my  home?  " 

This  letter  from  a  woman  in  Daytona,  Fla.,  demon- 
strates that  linoleum  floors  must  be  laid  right  if  they  are  to 
give  satisfaction.     The  lady  says: 

"I  have  not  had  good  results  with  the  use  of  linoleum,  and 
until  I  read  an  article  in  Good  Housekeeping  Magazine  on  the 
proper  way  to  lay  it  I  thought  it  was  pretty  poor  stuff.  I  am 
convinced  now  that  the  fault  is  in  laying  it  loose  and  tacking  the 
seams,  and  yet  merchants  here  refuse  to  lay  it  otherwise.  I 
believe,  as  recommended  by  Miss  Mildred  Maddocks,  of  Good 
Housekeeping  Institute,  that  linoleum  should  be  cemented  down 
over  a  lining  of  felt  paper.  Will  you  please  inform  me  where  I 
can  purchase  the  necessary  felt  paper,  paste,  and  cement?" 


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Armstrongls  Linoleum 

far  Emy  Floor  in  OnHmm 


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anCLE  K  irmkmarh 

onthtbufiopbofdt 


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Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

^  Course  in  Retail  Selling" 

t 

By 
J.  G.  Pattee 


LIBRARY 
SCHOOL  OF  BUSINESS 


LECTURE  VI 

Closing  the  Sale 


1 


Published  by 

Armstrong  Cork  Company,  Linoleum  Dept. 
Lancaster,  Pennsylvania 


if  r* 


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BUNK  PAGE(S) 


Copyrighty  1921,  hj 

Armstrong  Cork  Company 

Linoleum  Department 

Lancaster,  Pa. 


i         i 


Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

LECTL  RE  VI 

The  Six  Steps  in  a  Sale 

D.  Closing  the  Sale 

The  Most  Vital  Step: — Have  you  ever  heard  a  lawyer 
sum  up  a  case?  It  is  his  last  chance  before  the  jury  brings 
in  its  verdict.  Every  favorable  point  the  trial  has  devel- 
oped must  be  forcibly  presented,  and  the  effect  of  adverse 
testimony  must  be  minimized. 

At  this  point  of  the  sale  the  salesman  is  in  exactly  the 
same  position  as  the  lawyer  summing  up  the  case.  The 
salesman  knows  he  has  aroused  the  customer's  interest  and 
that  desire  has  been  created.  But  a  decision  is  still  to  be 
reached.  In  his  closing  arguments,  therefore,  the  salesman 
marshals  his  forces  quickly  and  briefly.  He  stresses  the 
important  selling  points,  makes  a  vigorous  attempt  to  dis- 
lodge any  remaining  objections,  and  tactfully  calls  atten- 
tion to  those  points  where  the  customer  has  expressed  or 
shown  approval. 

Do  Not  Confuse  the  Customer:— Many  sales  are  lost 
because  the  customer  becomes  confused  and  is  unable  to 
make  a  selection.   This  condition  is  usually  the  result  of 

3 


showing  too  many  patterns  or  colorings  at  once.  As  you 
progress  through  the  sale,  you  will  eliminate  all  but  two  or 
three  patterns.  If  you  can,  get  those  eHminated  out  of 
sight.  Every  salesman  knows  it  is  easier  to  get  a  woman  to 
decide  between  one  or  two  styles  or  patterns  than  to  pick 
one  out  of  a  dozen  or  more. 

Bon't  Talk  Too  Much:~Many  a  good  salesman  has 
talked  himself  into  a  sale  and  then  promptly  talked  him- 
self out.  Mark  Twain  tells  a  story  that  illustrates  this.  He 
once  went  to  hear  a  missionary  preach.  Early  in  the  dis- 
course he  determined  to  put  ten  dollars  in  the  collection. 
The  missionary  went  on  and  talked  a  while  longer,  and  he 
decided  that  five  dollars  should  be  enough.  By  the  time 
the  plate  reached  him,  however,  he  was  so  bored  he  refused 
to  put  in  anything.  That  missionary  had  talked  himself 
out  of  a  perfectly  good  ten  dollar  sale. 

How  to  know  when  to  talk  and  when  not  to  talk  is  not 
always  easily  recognized;  it  is  sensed  by  the  alert  salesman, 
who  feels,  even  before  the  customer  herself  is  sure  of  her 
choice,  when  the  time  has  come  to  push  the  sale  to  a 

ClOSCji' 

The  Undecided  Customer:— It  often  happens  that 
after  the  customer  has  been  brought  almost  to  the  point 
of  closing  she  suddenly  changes  her  mind  and  refuses  to 
buy.  The  clever  salesman  will  start  all  over  again.  If  pos- 
sible, he  will  attract  her  attention  by  offering  merchandise 
that  she  has  not  seen.  He  will  recall  some  point  in  the  con- 
versation where  the  customer  expressed  interest  or  ap- 
proval, and  try  to  approach  the  sale  from  that  angle.  If 
he  can,  he  will  also  endeavor  to  bring  out  what  the  real  ob- 
jection in  the  customer's  mind  is.  As  long  as  he  can  hold 
her  interest,  he  still  has  a  chance  to  make  a  sale.  But  if  he 
feels  that  he  has  exhausted  all  his  resources,  and  yet  be- 
lieves the  customer  is  in  the  market  for  goods,  then  he  may 


call  on  his  buyer  or  the  head  of  his  department,  tactfully 
suggesting  to  the  customer  that  there  may  be  some  new 
arrivals,  or  that  the  buyer  will  have  something  to  show  her 
in  which  he  is  sure  she  will  be  interested. 

Especially  where  the  amount  of  the  sale  runs  into  con- 
siderable money,  it  often  happens  that  the  customer  has  to 
be  led  several  times  to  the  point  of  closing.  A  spirit  of 
friendliness  and  evidence  of  a  sincere  desire  to  be  of  service 
will  oftentimes  wear  down  the  opposition  of  the  customer 
who  stiffens  her  mind  lest  she  be  persuaded  against  her 
will. 

Never  Argue  with  Your  Customer: — Never  permit  an 
argument  to  arise  between  yourself  and  your  customer. 
Right  or  wrong,  she  should  never  be  flatly  contradicted. 
People  like  to  think  they,  themselves,  know  something 
about  the  merchandise  they  buy.  They  like  to  feel  that 
they  are  making  the  decision  themselves. 

Remember  that  our  customers  are  friends.  They  must 
be  cultivated.  An  argument  invariably  will  put  the  sales- 
man on  the  wrong  side  of  the  fence.  It  is  better  to  find  a 
common  point  of  agreement;  then,  tactfully,  without 
seeming  to  argue  whatsoever,  present  the  facts  for  the 
customer's  consideration.  Oftentimes  an  appeal  to  her 
good  judgment  and  common  sense  will  win  the  day  for 
you. 

Getting  the  Decision: — Every  salesman  knows  how 
easy  it  is  for  the  customer  to  get  away  when  apparently 
every  requirement  has  been  met.  She  says  she  wants  to 
sleep  over  it,  or  to  ask  her  husband  about  it.  Nine  times 
out  of  ten,  however,  the  real  obstacle  is  a  matter  of  price. 
The  price  is  a  little  more  than  she  is  prepared  to  pay. 

It  is  here  that  the  really  efficient  salesman  **uses  his 
head."  Quick  thinking  and  immediate  action  are  necessary 
to  convince  the  customer  that  the  merchandise  is  well 

5 


worth  the  price  asked  for  it,  and  that  she  really  cannot 
afford  to  go  without  it. 

Some  years  ago,  G.  W.  Farwell,  a  merchant  of  McCracken, 
Kansas,  sold  a  farmer  a  stove  for  sixty  dollars  and,  as  was 
the  custom,  accepted  in  full  payment  one  hundred  bushels 
of  wheat. 

Recently  this  customer  came  to  Mr.  Farwell  to  buy  a 
new  range.  He  was  very  much  interested  in  all  the  im- 
provements, but  objected  to  the  increased  price,  reminding 
Mr.  Farwell  that  he  had  paid  only  sixty  dollars  for  the  old 
one.  Instantly  Mr.  Farwell  agreed  to  sell  the  new  range 
at  exactly  the  same  price  that  the  farmer  had  paid  for  the 
old  one.  "  That  was  sixty  dollars,"  said  the  farmer.  "  No," 
said  Mr.  Farwell.  "You  paid  me  one  hundred  bushels  of 
wheat."  The  farmer  saw  the  point  and  purchased  the 
stove,  paying  cash,  without  another  word. 

Whether  the  customer  who  is  hesitating  admits  it  in  so 
many  words  or  not,  it  is  likely  that  she  cannot  quite  make 
up  her  mind  to  part  with  her  money.  At  this  point  the 
skilful  salesman  impresses  upon  the  customer  how  much 
satisfaction  she  will  get  from  the  article  in  such  a  way  as  to 
minimize  the  price  consideration  in  her  mind,  without  nee- 
essarily  mentioning  the  matter  of  price. 

Quote  Prices  Force/wWy:— When  you  state  prices, 
don't  look  and  act  as  if  you  knew  the  customer  would  ob- 
ject. Customers  are  easily  influenced  by  your  attitude.  If 
you  quote  prices  clearly  and  forcefully,  you  will  have  less 
difficulty  in  closing  the  sale.  If  you  state  prices  hesitat- 
ingly, you  are  likely  to  raise  doubt  in  the  customer's  mind. 
K^p  the  customer's  attention  centered  on  pattern  and 
coloring,  and  help  her  make  a  selection.  Then  when  it 
comes  to  quoting  the  price,  naturally  assume  that  the 
prices  your  store  quotes  are  very  reasonable,  and  that  the 
customer  recognizes  the  worth  of  the  merchandise.    By 

3 


t* 


his  manner  and  attitude  the  salesman  implies  that  the  cus- 
tomer has  decided  to  purchase,  gets  out  his  order  book,  and 
asks  for  the  name  and  address. 


E.  Tntroducing  Other  Merchandise 

The  Real  Test: — The  ability  to  sell  merchandise  by 
suggestion  is  the  best  tost  of  salesmanship.  It  does  not  re- 
quire much  ability  to  sell  a  customer  what  she  is  already 
determined  to  buy.  Any  alert  salesman  can  tactfully  close 
such  a  sale.  It  is  really  only  after  the  prehminary  sale  has 
been  closed  and  the  order  booked  that  real  salesmanship 
comes  into  play. 

If  you  are  content,  after  you  have  sold  a  woman  a  certain 
number  of  yards  of  linoleum  for  her  kitchen  or  bathroom, 
to  let  her  leave  the  department  without  suggesting  further 
purchases,  my  friend,  you  have  no  right  to  call  yourself  a 
salesman.  And  by  suggesting  further  purchases  I  do  not 
mean  that  ancient,  outworn  interrogation,  mumbled  as 
you  write,  ''Anythingelsetodayma'am?"  Unless  your  cus- 
tomer has  come  in  with  a  shopping  list  of  things  she  must 
buy,  her  invariable  answer  to  such  a  question  is,  "No." 

What  a  poor  opinion  you  must  have  of  the  merchandise 
that  you  are  being  paid  each  week  to  sell  if  you  have  noth- 
ing that  you  can  honestly  ask  the  customer  to  take  a 
moment's  time  to  look  at.  Remember  every  woman  de- 
lights to  look  at  beautiful  things,  whether  she  can  afford  to 
buy.  them  or  not.  And,  as  has  been  stated  repeatedly  in 
these  lectures,  it  is  the  showing  of  merchandise  that  makes 
people  conscious  of  their  needs  and  creates  desire  to  possess. 

I  know  a  salesman  who  not  so  long  ago  sold  a  woman  a 
little  door  mat  for  a  dollar  and  a  quarter.  This  salesman 
made  it  a  practice  to  know  the  names  of  the  principal 
charge  accounts  at  his  store.   When  the  woman  told  him 

7 


her  name,  instantly  he  saw  an  opportunity  to  suggest  other 
merchandise. 

"Mrs.  Wainright,"  he  said,  "I  know  that  you  like  beau- 
tiful things,  and  I  should  like  to  have  the  pleasure  of  show- 
ing  you  some  rugs  that  we  have  stocked  recently.  They 
are  really  unusual,  both  in  the  high  grade  materials  in 
them  and  in  their  colorings.  May  I  show  them  to  you?" 
And  he  led  the  way  to  the  pile  of  rugs. 

Mrs.  Wainright  was  pleased  at  the  attention  she  was  re- 
ceiving. She  thought  the  rugs  were  very  nice,  indeed. 
"But  I  really  don't  need  any  large  rugs  right  now,"  she 
said.  "I  was  thinking  of  buying  some  smaller  rugs  for  a 
bedroom.  I  have  a  Httle  time,  and  FU  let  you  show  them  to 
me  now."  That  salesman  sold  three  small  bedroom  rugs, 
in  addition  to  the  doUar-and-a-quarter  door  mat.  He  was 
a  real  salesman. 

Suppose  you  have  a  customer  who  has  just  made  a  pur- 
chase of  linoleum  for  her  kitchen.  You  know  that  each 
.month  the  leading  women's  magazines  are  telUng  a  great 
many  women  in  your  community  that  linoleum  may  be 
used  as  a  floor  in  any  room.  What  is  more  logical  than  for 
you  to  ask  your  customer  to  look  at  some  of  the  colorings 
or  designs  in  linoleum  that  would  be  suitable  for  a  bed- 
room or  sun  porch? 

Think  of  the  number  of  homes  that  have  soft  pine  floors 
in  the  upstairs  rooms,  if  not  downstairs  as  well.  These 
floors  are  hard  to  take  care  of.  They  must  be  repainted 
frequently.  Suggest  to  your  customer  that  she  cover  these 
worn  wood  floors  with  linoleum.  Tell  her  to  put  her  rugs 
down  over  linoleum  as  over  any  floor.  She  has  just  pur- 
chased linoleum  for  the  kitchen  because  it  is  easy  to  take 
care  of.  Isn't  that  an  excellent  reason  for  using  linoleum 
floors  in  other  rooms,  too?  Picture  to  her  how  well  the 
newer  designs  that  you  have  in  stock  will  look  in  her  home. 

8 


4  \ 

\ 


\ 
J 


* 


The  salesman  who  does  not  avail  himself  of  every  pos- 
sible opportunity  to  suggest  linoleum  floors  for  other  rooms 
to  his  customers  is  faihng  in  his  duty  to  his  store  and  to  his 
customers,  and  is  overlooking  his  own  interests. 

If  you  sold  linoleum  for  one  additional  room  to  but  one 
out  of  five  of  your  customers,  the  increase  in  your  perh-.nal 
sales  would  be  very  gratifying.  Take  a  pad  and  pencil  and 
figure  what  it  would  mean  in  dollars  and  cents  in  a  week, 
a  month,  a  year. 

It  is  estimated  by  the  Government  that  the  entire  lino- 
leum business  of  the  United  States  does  not,  at  present,  ex- 
ceed fifty  million  dollars.  If  the  Hnoleum  salesmen  in  this 
country  would  sell  fifteen  square  yards  of  linoleum  for  one 
additional  room  a  year  in  only  one-tenth  of  the  homes  in 
the  United  States,  it  would  mean  increasing  the  linoleum 
business  in  this  country  at  least  fifty  million  dollars  per 
annum.  It  would  require  several  factories  the  size  of  the 
great  Armstrong  plant  at  Lancaster  to  take  care  of  the  one 
additional  room  business  alone. 

Selling  Proper  Laying: — I  have  already  said  that  the 
salesman  is  vitally  concerned  in  seeing  that  the  linoleum 
his  customer  buys  is  properly  laid.  I  also  know  that  many 
salesmen  fail  to  sell  the  customer  on  the  idea  that  she 
should  have  her  linoleum  laid  by  the  store's  expert  work- 
men in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  give  lasting  satisfaction. 

What  would  you  think  of  a  clothing  salesman  who  sold 
you  a  suit  of  clothes,  and  then  suggested  that  you  alter 
them  yourself  or  that  making  them  fit  was  a  matter  of 
slight  importance? 

In  the  last  three  years  the  public  generally  has  learned 
that  whatever  is  worth  having  is  worth  paying  for.  If  you 
are  a  good  salesman  it  should  take  you  but  a  moment's 
time  to  convince  your  customer  that  she  should  pay  a  fair 
price  for  having  her  linoleum  laid  well. 

9 


In  many  stores  the  floor-covering  workrooms  have  been 
operated  at  an  annual  loss.  Too  many  department  man- 
agers do  not  have  the  courage  of  their  convictions  to  make 
the  workroom  carry  its  own  overhead  and  pay  a  profit. 
But  the  capable  department  manager  today  is  insisting 
that  his  men  prove  themselves  to  be  efficient  salesmen,  and 
that  they  get  a  fair  price  for  linoleum  laying.  That  this 
can  be  done  is  being  demonstrated  in  an  increasing  nunilxM- 
of  good  stores.  After  all,  the  matter  is  up  to  the  salesman. 
If  you  can*t  '*sell"  your  customers  on  the  fact  that  they 
should  pay  for  having  linoleum  laid,  perhaps  you  are  in  the 
wrong  line  of  business.  Think  it  over. 

inirftducing  Linoleum  Accessories: — Two-thirds  of 
the  complaints  that  arise  to  annoy  the  store  and  the  cus- 
tomer are  due  to  poor  laying  or  improper  care.  In  many 
homes,  scrubbing  the  kitchen  or  bathroom  floor  is  almost  a 
sacred  rite.  It  is  perfectly  natural  for  a  woman  to  use  the 
same  coarse  scrubbing  brush  and  the  same  strong  soaps  or 
washing  powders  that  she  has  always  used  on  wood  floors. 

The  salesman  who  not  only  recommends  the  right  way  to 
clean  linoleum,  but  also  sells  the  customer  the  necessary 
linoleum  floor  wax  or  varnish  not  only  adds  to  his  sales, 
but  insures  the  life  of  the  floor,  and  thus  protects  his  store 
from  possible  complaints. 

F.  Insuring  the  Cu.sfome/s  Good  Will 
The  Value  of  Good  Will:~The  good  will  of  any  going 
business  is  worth  far  more  than  its  buildings,  fixtures,  or 
stocks  of  merchandise.  Indeed,  it  would  be  difficult  to  put 
a  commercial  valuation  on  good  will  as  an  asset  in  any  re- 
tail business.  Cultivating  good  will  is  one  of  the  salesman's 
important  duties.  He  can  be  active  in  developing  a 
friendly  feeling  between  his  store  and  its  patrons  in  many 

ways. 

10 


Every  Customer  a  Guest:— Recently  I  stood  watching 
a  little  salesgirl  in  the  ribbon  department  of  a  large  store. 
Four  times  in  rapid  succession  she  replied  to  the  customer's 
questionings,  "I  beg  your  pardon."  Her  mind  was  thou- 
sands of  miles  away.  At  the  fourth  offense  the  customer 
dropped  the  article  and  left  in  disgust.  The  salesgirl's  com- 
ment was,  ''Well,  can  you  beat  it?"  Of  course,  she,  herself, 
was  not  at  fault. 

Every  customer  who  enters  your  store  is  a  guest.  She 
has  been  invited  to  come,  and  is  entitled  to  all  the  privi- 
leges and  courtesies  you  can  extend.  Make  her  feel  that 
you  appreciate  her  coming.  Treat  her  just  as  courteously 
as  though  she  were  a  guest  in  your  own  home.  To  be  sure, 
there  are  some  customers  who  do  not  respond  to  courteous 
treatment.  Just  so,  do  you  not  sometimes  entertain  guests 
in  your  home  whose  actions  show  a  lack  of  good  breeding 
and  refinement?  Because  a  guest  is  rude  is  no  reason  why 
the  host  should  fail  in  courtesy. 

Making  a  Friend  of  the  Customer:— If  you  drop 
your  customer  like  a  red-hot  iron  as  soon  as  you  have  com- 
pleted the  sale,  she  will  be  justified  in  feeling  that  your  in- 
terest was  purely  selfish.  Nor  should  you  drop  a  customer 
abruptly  when  you  find  that  you  are  unable  to  close  a  sale. 
The  customer  who  has  just  purchased  is  more  than  Ukely  a 
friend  already;  of  the  customer  who  does  not  buy  you 
want  to  make  a  friend. 

I  have  always  tried  to  make  a  woman  who  did  not  buy 
feel  that  she  had  done  me  a  favor  in  coming  in  to  look  at 
my  merchandise,  and  that  I  appreciated  the  opportunity 
of  showing  it  to  her.  Time  after  time  I  have  seen  a  cus- 
tomer come  back  in  a  day  or  two  to  purchase  the  very 
article  I  had  shown  her. 

I  have  also  used  the  telephone  advantageously  to  follow 
up  a  customer  whom  I  knew  to  be  interested  but  who  just 

11 


couldn't  make  up  her  mind.  Sometimes  I  have  dropped 
her  a  courteous  letter,  asking  whether  or  not  she  had  yet 
reached  a  decision.  For  the  little  extra  effort  put  forth  I 
have  been  rewarded  many  times,  not  only  in  sales,  but  by 
making  friends  of  my  customers,  who  have  appreciated  the 
attention  I  gave  them. 

Good  Will  a  Permnal  Asset:— In  every  store  we  find 
salesmen  who  are  in  constant  demand.  Customers  call  for 
them  by  name  and  wait  patiently  for  them  to  be  at  leisure. 
Their  advice  is  sought  and  followed  with  confidence.  Such 
salesmen  possess  a  substantial  capital  which  pays  them 
good  dividends  because  they  are  able  to  make  sales  that 
other  salesmen  could  not  make.  Such  personal  good  will 
is  sure  to  make  itself  felt  in  the  pay  envelope. 

Service  Brings  Its  Own  Reward:— Any  service  ren- 
dered sincerely  brings  its  own  reward.  Some  time  ago,  Dr. 
Herbert  Lowell  Rich  had  some  battleship  linoleum  laid  on 
the  floor  of  his  office  in  a  Massachusetts  city.  He  told  the 
salesman  to  go  ahead  and  put  in  the  linoleum,  and  he 
would  leave  it  to  the  store  to  see  that  it  was  laid  satis- 
factorily. 

Either  through  ignorance  or  because  he  was  lacking  in 
real  salesmanship,  the  salesman  permitted  the  linoleum  to 
be  laid  "the  easiest  way."  It  was  simply  trimmed  to  fit  and 
left  loose  on  the  floor. 

It  was  not  long  before  things  began  to  happen.  The  lino- 
leum stretched;  the  seams  did  not  lie  flat.  Dr.  Rich  felt 
that  his  floor  was  a  disgrace  to  his  office. 

He  wrote  to  Lancaster  for  advice,  and  was  referred  to  a 
merchant  in  the  same  city,  across  the  street,  who  beheved 
that  if  he  was  going  to  handle  linoleum  it  was  his  duty  to 
give  service  with  it.  The  salesman  upon  whom  Mr.  Rich 
called  said,  "Certainly,  we  shall  take  up  your  linoleum 
floor  and  cement  it  down  for  you,  and  charge  you  just 


1  f 


V    i'^ 


what  it  costs.  We  are  glad  to  do  it  because  we  want  your 
friendship  and  your  business." 

Dr.  Rich  was  so  pleased  with  the  treatment  he  received 
from  the  second  salesman  that  he  wrote  to  Lancaster  to 
recommend  that  all  further  inquiries  from  his  section  be 
referred  to  that  young  man.  "  I  have  already  advised  three 
of  my  friends  to  go  to  him  for  linoleum,"  he  says,  "and  I 
have  called  the  attention  of  a  number  of  people  who  have 
been  in  my  office  to  the  splendid  floor  I  now  have.  I  know 
that  I  am  only  one  of  a  large  number  of  persons  in  business 
and  professional  life  who  are  entirely  willing  to  pay  for  ser- 
vice if  we  get  what  we  pay  for." 

The  Spirit  of  Good  Will:— The  salesman  who  is  loyal 
to  his  firm  cannot  help  reflecting  the  good  will  he,  himself, 
feels.  It  is  this  spirit  of  good  will  that  has  given  the  Mar- 
shall Field  store  a  reputation  all  over  the  United  States. 
Whenever  I  have  been  in  the  great  Marshall  Field  store  I 
have  noticed  that  the  employees  feel  a  personal  responsi- 
bility. Thoy  look  upon  their  store  as  an  institution,  and 
not  merely  as  a  market  place.  How  fortunate  is  the  store 
which  has  built  into  the  fives  of  its  employees  its  ideals  of 
service,  ideals  which  are  very  beautifully  expressed  in  this 
little  poem  by  Mr.  John  Lambert,  of  the  Upholstery  De- 
partment, who  has  worked  for  the  Marshall  Field  store  for 
more  than  twenty-five  years: 

CATHEDRAL  OF  ALL  THE  STORES 

Untrammeled  and  fair,  like  a  thing  of  dreams, 

Its  granite  walls  uprise: 
Four  square  to  the  world,  symmetrical,  true, 

It  tow'rs  'neath  bending  skies. 
To  the  north  and  south,  to  the  east  and  west, 

Swing  gates  to  wondrous  floors,— 
Builded  for  service,  aye,  proudly  it  stands. 

Cathedral  of  all  the  stores.  ►. 


13 


And  radiant  stretch  the  passes  within, 

Like  fairied  aisles  they  run 
Mid  postured  columns,  uplift (»d  and  white 

As  enood  of  cloistered  nun. 
Ever  and  ever  press  myriad  feet, 

Expectant  thru  the  doors, — 
Buildfed  for  service,  securely  it  stands — 

Cathedral  of  all  the  stores. 

And  here  ingathered  from  places  anear, 

And  lands  beyond  the  sea, 
Are  wonderfid  wares  for  uses  of  men, 

Rare  works  in  artistry. 
And  so  shall  it  stand  with  a  fame  unmatched 

Here,  or  on  distant  shores, 
Builded  for  service — the  marvel  of  men — 

Cathedral  of  all  the  stores. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  SELF-STUDY 

1.  Do  you  show  impatience  when  the  customer  is  slow 
in  bujdng,  or  do  you  try  to  set  her  at  her  ease? 

2.  Have  you  ever  noticed  that  the  "honest  John"  sort 
of  salesman  seems  to  be  able  to  close  sales  easily  and 
quickly?    To  what  do  you  attribute  his  success? 

3.  How  many  linoleum  patterns  do  you  show  at  one 
time? 

4.  To  what  extent  are  you  able  to  guide  the  customer's 
decision? 

5.  Are  you  sincere  in  the  advice  you  give  to  your  cus- 
tomers, or  do  you  "tell  them  anything"  to  make  the  sale? 

6.  When  customers  are  rude,  what  is  the  best  way  of 
handling  them? 

7.  What  have  you  found  to  be  the  best  argument  by 
which  to  convince  a  customer  that  goods  are  well  worth 
the  price  asked? 

8.  How  many  linoleum  floors  for  bedrooms  or  other 
rooms  have  you  sold?  Do  you  make  use  of  the  colorplates 
you  can  secure  from  the  Armstrong  Company  to  help  you 
get  such  sales? 


I 


t 


4-  '  .jt' 


1 1 


9.  Have  you  studied  how  linoleum  should  be  laid?  Do 
you  have  definite  knowledge  of  this  subject?  Have  you 
worked  out  a  selling  argument  with  which  to  convince  your 
customers  that  they  should  pay  a  good  price  for  having 
linoleum  laid  properly? 

10.  Can  you  honestly  say  that  every  customer  to  whom 
you  say  "Good-bye"  goes  out  with  a  friendly  feeling? 

11.  Do  people  in  your  city  refer  to  you  as  a  pleasant 
salesman  with  whom  to  trade?  Are  you  building  for  your- 
self a  personal  clientele? 

12.  Do  you  believe  that  Dr.  Rich  was  justified  in  blam- 
ing the  first  salesman  because  he  did  not  get  a  satisfactory 
floor? 

13.  How  far  does  your  responsibility  go  in  regard  to 
goods  that  must  be  delivered  or  installed  after  the  order  is 
taken? 

14.  Can  you  recall  any  cases  where  unexpected  service 
created  good  will  for  your  store? 


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Armstrongls  Linoleum 

fyr  Evrry  Roor  m  (htlbuM 


atKLE  IK  imdmaHt 
mdmbuHiipbadi 


Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

A  Course  in  Retail  Selling 


By 
J.  G.  Pattee 


1^3*  LIBRARY 

.    'P2.7    SCHOOL  OF  BUSINESS 


LECTURE  VII 

The  Efficient  Salesman 


I 


Published  by 

Annstrong  Cork  Company,  Linoleum  Dept. 
Lancaster,  Pennsylvania 


'■%.,.,. 


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■IlilijHQIESimi:^ 


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A' 


(J  y 


Copyright,  1921,  by 

Armstrong  Cork  Company 

Linoleum  Department 

Lancaster.  Pa. 


j 


Constructive   Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

LECTURE  VII 

The  Efficient  Salesman 

A  Plan  for  Your  Life: — If  you  wanted  to  build  a  struc- 
ture of  any  kind  you  would  send  for  an  architect  and  tell 
him  your  requirements.  With  the  data  given  him,  he 
would  prepare  plans  and  drawings  showing  in  minutest  de- 
tail every  part  of  the  whole  structure.  From  his  estimates 
you  would  know  how  many  tons  of  steel,  how  many  feet  of 
lumlx^r,  l)arrels  of  cement,  and  thousands  of  brick  would  be 
required.  Every  single  thing  would  be  figured  to  the  last 
bolt  and  lock.  Without  such  plans  and  specifications,  it 
w^ould  l)e  impossible  foi*  the  contractors  to  go  ahead  intelli- 
gently to  erect  the  building. 

You  caimot  develop  yoiu'self  as  a  really  successful  sales- 
man by  haphazard  methods  any  more  than  you  can  build 
a  building  by  such  methods.  The  efficient  salesman  must 
build  according  to  a  plan.  He  studies  first  the  plans  of  the 
structure  he  is  contemplating.  He  ascertains  the  cost,  and 
he  assures  himself  of  his  own  ability  to  meet  the  necessary 
requirements. 

In  the  previous  lectures  I  have  outlined  the  six  steps  in 
the  mental  law  of  sale.   I  have  emphasized  sufficiently,  I 

1 


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V. 


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INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


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Lakcaotto.  Pa. 


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Constructive  Linoleum 
Salesmanship 

LECTURE  VII 
The  Efficient  Salesman 

A  Plan  for  Your  Life: — If  you  wanted  to  build  a  struc- 
ture of  any  kind  you  would  send  for  an  architect  and  tell 
him  your  requirements.  With  the  data  given  him,  he 
would  prepare  plans  and  drawings  showing  in  minutest  de- 
tail every  part  of  the  whole  structure.  From  his  estimates 
you  would  know  how  many  tons  of  steel,  how  many  feet  of 
lumber,  barrels  of  cement,  and  thousands  of  brick  would  be 
required.  Every  single  thing  would  be  figured  to  the  last 
bolt  and  lock.  Without  such  plans  and  specifications,  it 
would  be  impossible  for  the  contractors  to  go  ahead  intelli- 
gently to  erect  the  building. 

You  cannot  develop  yourself  as  a  really  successful  sales- 
man bj^  haphazard  methods  any  more  than  you  can  build 
a  building  by  such  methods.  The  efficient  salesman  must 
build  according  to  a  plan.  He  studies  first  the  plans  of  the 
structure  he  is  contemplating.  He  ascertains  the  cost,  and 
he  assures  himself  of  his  own  ability  to  meet  the  necessary 
requirements. 

In  the  previous  lectures  I  have  outHned  the  six  steps  in 
the  mental  law  of  sale.   I  have  emphasized  sufficiently,  I 

1 


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!'«        H 


hope,  the  fact  that  to  be  an  efficient  salesman  requires 
hours  of  thinking  and  strength  of  character.  If  you  are 
going  to  influence  the  minds  of  other  people  to  buy  goods, 
you,  yourself,  must  be  capable  of  exerting  such  influence. 
You  must  ask  yourself,  "How  can  I  develop  myself  as  an 
efficient  salesman?  What  are  the  requirements?  What  are 
the  plans?  Ami  willing  to  pay  the  cost?"  For  the  efficient 
salesman  must  pay  no  small  price  in  self-sacrifice  and  self- 
control. 

Not  Born,  hut  Mucufcrf:— Contrary  to  the  implica- 
tion in  the  popular  saying,  "He's  a  regular  born  salesman,'* 
the  efficient  salesman  is  not  a  matter  of  birth,  but  of  train- 
ing and  education.  Any  man  or  woman  of  ordinary  intelli- 
gence can  acquire  sefling  efficiency.  There  must,  of  course, 
be  genuine  liking  for  the  work,  a  knowledge  of  what  is  in- 
volved, and  the  courage  and  will  power  to  develop.  Nat- 
urally we  do  best  those  things  that  interest  us.  For  this 
reason,  do  not  take  up  the  career  of  a  salesman  unless  you 
beheve  that  selling  appeals  to  you  very  strongly.  Nearly 
every  magazine  and  newspaper  contains  stories  of  men  or 
women  who,  despite  unusual  handicaps,  have,  by  sheer  will 
power  and  self-development,  raised  themselves  above  their 
fellows.  Verily  it  seems  that  the  man  who  has  the  greatest 
obstacles  to  overcome  usually  rises  higher  than  the  ordi- 
nary fellow  who  has  never  known  the  need  to  fight  for  self- 

If  you  are  not  making  satisfactory  progress,  don't  evade 
the  issue.  Look  yourself  squarely  in  the  face  and  make  up 
your  mind  to  develop  the  requirements  that  are  necessary 
to  make  you  efficient.  Knowing  your  weakness  is  half  the 
battle,  because  you  then  know  just  where  to  begin  to  cor- 
rect youi"self . 

Ten  Requirements  of  a  Good  Saiesnmn:—!  have 
met  personally  and  talked  with  hundreds  of  salesmen  in  re- 

2 


■i     I     r 


tail  stores.  I  have  worked  all  my  life  as  a  salesman,  and 
have  had  salesmen  in  my  employ.  In  setting  down  what  I 
believe  to  be  the  ten  requirements  of  a  good  salesman,  I  am 
basing  my  selection  on  observation  and  experience.  I  can 
only  tell  you  what  they  are.  You  must  study  and  develop 
them  in  yourself. 

The  ten  requirements  of  a  good  salesman  that  I  am  going 
to  tell  you  about  apply  to  salesmanship  in  its  broadest 
sense.  In  so  far  as  possible,  I  shall  apply  the  principles  pre- 
sented directly  to  the  selling  of  linoleum.  For  salesman- 
ship is  a  broad  profession.  No  matter  what  you  may  be 
selling,  the  fundamental  principles  are  the  same.  And  re- 
member that  unless  you  study  and  apply  these  principles, 
merely  reading  them  over  will  do  you  very  little  good.  If 
you  have  no  real  desire  to  develop  your  powers,  better  call 
up  your  best  girl  and  go  to  the  movies. 

The  ten  requirements  of  a  good  salesman  I  expect  to  tell 
you  about  are: 


1.  Health 

2.  Ambition 

3.  Courtesy 

4.  Dependability 

5.  Cooperation 


6.  Time  Efficiency 

7.  Knowledge 

8.  Initiative 

9.  Sound  Judgment 
10.  Self-Control 


1.  Health 

You  are  an  Investment: — Every  employee  represents 
a  definite  investment  on  the  part  of  his  employer.  It  takes 
time  to  train  a  man  and  for  him  to  familiarize  himself  with 
his  duties  in  a  new  position.  It  is  inevitable  that  the  new 
employee  wiU  make  mistakes  and  cause  loss,  hence  the 
store  has  made  a  real  investment  in  you  before  you  are  able 
to  begin  to  earn  your  pay. 

Estimates  vary  as  to  the  amount  of  the  investment  a 
store  has  in  its  several  employees.  In  the  case  of  a  minor 

3 


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employee,  it  may  not  be  more  than  $100,  while  with  the 
skilled  employees  the  investment  may  be  anywhere  from 
$500  to  $10,000. 

Some  salesmen  seem  to  feel  that  if  they  lose  a  day  for 
which  they  are  not  paid  the  store  is  out  nothing.  This  is 
far  from  true,  for  during  the  time  you  are  out,  either  for 
personal  reasons  or  illness,  the  store  is  getting  no  return  on 
its  investment. 

Some  stores  now  require  a  physical  examination  of  all 
applicants  before  they  will  even  consider  investing  their 
money  in  them.  Such  a  poHcy  is  saving  them  thousands  of 
dollars  a  year. 

Good  Heaith  m  Jfaf  ler  of  WiU:~I  was  very  much  in- 
terested in  an  article  I  read  some  time  ago  in  The  American 
Magazine  for  June,  1920.  It  was  by  Dr.  Martin  Edwards, 
and  entitled,  ''Good  Health  Largely  a  Matter  of  Will." 
If  you  can  secure  a  copy  of  this  magazine  in  the  Ubrary,  it 
will  be  worth  reading. 

Po8twre:—A  wrong  pose  of  the  body,  besides  being  the 
cause  of  many  of  life's  little  ailments,  is  frequently  the 
cause  of  organic  disease,  says  Dr.  Edwards.  The  tendency 
to  slouch  is  particularly  noticeable  among  retail  salesmen. 
Because  they  must  stand  on  their  feet  all  day,  it  becomes 
easy  to  relax.  The  abdominal  muscles  are  Hkely  to  become 
weakened,  and  the  organs  of  both  the  chest  and  the  ab- 
domen sag  from  their  natural  position.  It  is  important  for 
you,  therefore,  to  strive  to  maintain  correct  posture.  Dr. 
Edwards  says  that  to  stand  correctly,  to  keep  the  body  well 
poised,  with  each  organ  placed  so  that  it  can  function 
properly,  is  much  simpler  than  is  ordinarily  supposed. 
Jpst  stand  as  tall  as  possible. 

"I'll  show  you  how,"  says  Dr.  Edwards.  "Here's  a 
measuring  stick,  and  here's  a  mirror.  Coat  and  shirt  ofif, 
please.   Now  look  at  yourself.   A  bit  pot-bellied.   Chest 

4 


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■ 


somewhat  fiat.  Shoulders  sag,  with  a  bit  of  unnatural 
curving  forward  of  the  spine.  Height,  just  five  feet,  ten 
inches.  Now!  Pull  in  your  abdomen,  and  then  pull  it  up. 
Hold  it  in,  please,  and  look  at  yourself.  Your  chest  is 
deeper,  your  shoulders  are  squarer,  spine  is  straighter, 
head  better  poised,  height  a  little  over  five  feet,  ten  and  a 
half.  Of  course,  being  tall  isn't  the  consideration.  It  is 
keeping  the  vital  organs  in  place  so  that  they  can  do  their 
work  without  hindrance." 

Your  Diet: — Are  you  eating  too  much?  Are  you  eating 
the  proper  food?  Are  you  assimilating  your  meals?  The 
relation  of  diet  to  good  health  has  been  stressed  so  much  in 
the  magazines  and  by  speakers  and  writers  that  it  hardly 
seems  needful  for  me  to  enter  into  much  discussion  of  the 
subject.  Surely  you  are  sufficiently  interested  in  your  own 
development  and  betterment  to  invest  the  few  cents  nec- 
essary in  authoritative  books  on  diet.  If  you  are  not  thus 
interested,  there  is  little  that  I  can  say  that  would  be  of 
benefit  to  you. 

The  Teeth: — When  talking  recently  with  the  attending 
physician  of  a  large  department  store,  I  was  surprised  to 
learn  from  him  that  more  applications  were  rejected  be- 
cause of  unsound  teeth  than  for  any  other  reason.  This  is 
the  more  important,  because  it  is  so  unnecessary.  Just  a 
little  attention  at  the  right  time,  and  all  sorts  of  dental 
troubles  may  easily  be  avoided.  Unsound  teeth  are  not 
only  painful  in  themselves  but  they  lead  to  all  sorts  of  other 
serious  ailments.  Aside  from  their  effect  on  the  general 
health,  bad  teeth  make  the  mouth  unsightly,  produce 
offensive  breath,  and  cause  customers  to  avoid  you. 

Personal  Cleanliness: — To  be  physically  fit  one  must 
pay  strict  attention  to  personal  cleanliness.  How  impor- 
tant this  is  was  well  emphasized  in  the  World  War.  Not 
only  must  your  linen  be  clean  and  clothing  well  pressed,  biit 


BMa 


the  body  should  be  kept  in  the  pink  of  condition  by  fre- 
quent baths. 

Keep  your  mind,  as  well  as  your  body,  clean.  Neither 
tel  nor  listen  to  unclean  stories.  Your  mind  cannot  be 
filled  with  unclean  thoughts  and  be  concentrated  on  your 
work  at  the  same  time. 

Eeiamtmm  and  Recreation:— '' M  work  and  no  play 
makes  Jack  a  dull  boy."  The  salesman  who  is  confined  to 
the  store  all  day  is  certainly  entitled  to  play  after  store 
hours.  But  just  as  all  work  makes  a  man  dull  so  the  wrong 
kind  of  play,  or  even  too  much  of  the  right  kind,  will  make 
the  worker  dull.  Pool,  billiards,  cards,  and  theaters  are  all 
right  in  their  place,  but  what  the  inside  salesman  needs  is 
exercise  in  the  open  air  or  in  a  well-ventilated  gymnasium. 
Too  many  of  us  who  live  in  cities  have  the  habit  of  hopping 
on  street  cars  to  ride  a  few  blocks  when  a  walk  would  do  us 
a  world  of  good.  After  all,  there  is  no  form  of  exercise  that 
is  so  easily  within  the  reach  of  all  and  takes  so  little  effort 
as  walking.  Ten  minutes'  walk  each  morning  after  break- 
fast wil  start  the  circulation  going  and  make  you  feel 
better  ai  day.  During  the  noon  hour,  too,  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes  of  complete  relaxation  or  walking  out- 
doors wOl  do  wonders  for  you. 

If  you  expect  to  be  hale  and  hearty  at  eighty,  as  well  as 
to  keep  in  perfect  health  from  day  to  day,  your  doctor  will 
tell  you  that  you  must  take  exercise.  You  may  be  too  lazy 
to  follow  his  advice,  but  sooner  or  later  you  will  bitterly 
repent  your  indolence. 

Hetdih  Grmtest  Fermmd  Asset:— Your  employer 
realizes  the  value  of  health  from  an  investment  standpoint. 
Many  employers  insure  the  firm  against  the  loss  of  valued 
employees.  If  your  health  means  so  much  to  him,  how 
much  more  does  it  mean  to  you?  At  the  very  worst,  he 
makes  a  total  loss  of  his  investment.   If  you  lose  your 

6 


''*▼ 


health,  nothing  on  earth  can  replace  it.  It  is  the  most  val- 
uable asset  you  can  possibly  possess. 

2.  Ambition 

What  is  Ambition? — There  is  an  old  Turkish  proverb 
to  the  effect  that  the  world  belongs  to  the  dissatisfied.  It  is 
the  desire  for  achievement,  honor,  power  that  has  been  the 
impelling  motive  behind  all  progress  in  the  world's  history. 
It  drove  Columbus  to  the  discovery  of  America.  It  led  Dr. 
Alexander  Graham  Bell  to  discover  the  telephone.  It  re- 
placed the  stage  coach  with  the  accommodation  train.  It 
may  soon  replace  the  fast  express  train  with  flying  ma- 
chines. 

It  is  ambition  that  makes  men  risk  their  very  Hves  in 
daring  experiments.  It  is  ambition  that  is  expressed  in  the 
human  desire  for  recognition. 

Definite  Objective: — How  many  of  us  look  with  envy 
upon  those  of  our  acquaintances  who  are  successful?  But 
do  we  take  it  out  mostly  in  wishing  and  follow  along  the 
line  of  least  resistance,  too  lazy  mentally  or  physically  to 
bestir  ourselves,  and  be  up-and-doing?  The  man  who  has 
arrived  in  life  has  had  a  definite  goal  in  sight.  Some  objec- 
tive had  constantly  been  held  before  his  mind.  That  ob- 
jective may  have  been  a  home  in  the  country,  surrounded 
by  beautiful  trees  and  flowers,  where  he  could  enjoy  life 
with  those  he  loved;  it  may  have  been  a  position  of  honor 
or  of  financial  power.  Once  determined,  however,  the  suc- 
cessful man  has  forged  steadily  ahead  toward  his  real  ob- 
jective. Dreams  do  not  come  true  from  dreaming,  only  by 
the  most  energetic  kind  of  action.  First,  if  we  are  to  be 
successful,  then,  must  come  the  overpowering  desire  of 
attainment. 

Win  Your  Objective: — Not  long  ago  in  talking  with  a 
floor-covering  salesman  I  suggested  that  he  develop  him- 

7 


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!      '  a 


self  as  a  salesman,  and  offered  to  map  out  for  him  a  logical 
campaign  for  getting  more  sales  on  his  book.  Said  he, 
**  What's  the  use?  I  don't  propose  to  be  a  floor-covering 
salesman  all  my  life."  Try  as  I  could,  however,  I  was  not 
able  to  pin  him  down  to  any  one  thing  he  did  intend  to  do. 
Already  he  had  wasted  three  years  of  his  life  without  any 
deinite  aim.  Unless  something  arouses  him  soon,  he  will 
belong  to  the  great  army  of  human  failures,  for  he  is  al- 
ready forming  mental  and  physical  habits  of  inaction  that 
it  will  be'  hard  to  overcome. 

Some  years  ago  a  young  man  started  in  the  Silk  Depart- 
ment of  one  of  the  larger  Boston  stores.  His  ambition  had 
been  to  become  a  lawyer,  but  he  had  others  depending  on 
him,  and  so  he  determined  to  sell  silk  during  the  day,  but 
to  study  law  at  night.  His  one  ambition  was  to  get  enough 
money  ahead  to  enable  him  to  start  the  practice  of  law  as 
soon  as  he  could  graduate.  But,  in  the  meantime,  he  did 
his  work  in  the  silk  business  so  well  that  before  he  had 
graduated  from  his  law  course,  he  was  given  complete 
charge  of  his  Silk  Department,  at  a  salary  that  would  make 
miost  young  lawyers  green  with  envJ^ 

I  do  not  need  to  point  out  the  moral  to  you.  The  thing 
is  to  have  an  objective  in  life,  and  to  work  toward  it  to  the 
best  of  your  ability. 

Your  job  now  is  to  sell  linoleum.  Selling  all  you  can  and 
then  learning  how  to  sell  more,  is  the  quickest  way  of  satis- 
fying your  ambition  to  tecome  a  great  salesman.  Don't 
worry.  If  you  show  from  day  to  day  the  outstanding  marks 
of  unusual  selHng  abihty  your  Ught  will  not  long  remain 
hid  under  a  bushel.  Your  powers  will  be  recognized,  and 
you  will  be  given  opportunity  to  use  them  to  the  benefit 
of  your  firm  and  to  your  own  great  advantage. 

hemiop  Your  i4ififti«ioii;— Ambition  should  keep  pace 
progress.   Indeed,  it  always  does.   The  accomplish- 

8 


^      > 


I 


ments  that  seemed  so  difficult  and  so  hard  to  attain  yester- 
day will  be  achieved  a  year  from  now.  The  goal  that  you 
set  a  year  ago  will  be  far  in  the  background. 

Salesmanship  is,  itself,  a  great  developer  of  ambition. 
Selling  merchandise  brings  you  into  constant  contact  with 
every  type  of  human  psychology.  In  selling,  you  are 
obliged  to  use  judgment  in  the  advice  you  render,  and  you 
are  compelled  to  make  quick  decisions. 

Perhaps  your  ambition  today  is  to  become  the  best  Uno- 
leum  salesman  in  the  department.  If  you  are  content  to 
remain  in  the  store  and  take  what  little  business  comes  in 
to  you,  your  goal  has  not  been  set  very  far  ahead.  But  if 
you  want  to  make  a  record  in  selling  Unoleum,  don't  worry 
about  the  salesmen  in  other  departments.  At  least  four 
out  of  five  customers  that  come  into  the  store  and  ask  for 
Hnoleum  are  waiting  to  be  sold.  Think  of  the  bankers, 
lawyers,  doctors — in  fact,  professional  men  in  every  line 
— who  are  waiting  for  you  to  sell  them  linoleum  for  their 
offices  and  places  of  business!  Factories  of  every  descrip- 
tion, theaters,  stores,  hotels,  and  restaurants  are  all  logical 
prospects  for  the  ambitious  linoleum  salesman.  What  an 
opportunity  is  yours  for  development  in  just  matching 
your  brains  against  the  owners  of  these  establishments! 
And  if  you  are  successful  in  selling  them  linoleum,  who 
knows  but  that  you  may  be  called  upon  to  sell  them  other 
merchandise — yes,  even  stocks  and  bonds,  where  your  in- 
come will  be  measured  in  thousands  of  dollars,  where  now 
it  totals  hundreds  per  year. 

Do  It  Now: — As  I  look  back  over  my  own  life  I  reahze 
now  that  whatever  success  I  have  had  has  been  due  to  the 
fact  that  I  always  had  a  definite  ambition  just  a  step  or 
two  ahead  of  me.  When  I  was  a  stock  boy  I  didn't  dream 
about  becoming  President  of  the  United  States,  but  I  did 
most  definitely  want  to  qualify  as  a  salesman  on  the  floor. 

9 


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And  then  my  ambition  was  to  become  the  best  salesman  in 
my  department,  and  then  head  of  the  department  itself,  or 
a  similar  department  in  some  other  store.  With  a  definite 
goal  always  right  ahead  of  me,  I  had  to  follow  only  a 
straight  line  to  get  to  it. 

And  so  with  you.  Remember  that,  whatever  yom*  defi- 
nite objective,  its  attainment  will  be  hastened  if  you  do 
your  present  work  just  a  little  better  than  it  was  ever  done 
before.  Whatever  the  future  may  have  in  store  for  you, 
your  study  and  practice  of  salesmanship  will  hasten  your 
success,  because,  as  I  have  said  before,  all  business  is 
based  on  salesmanship. 

Ju»i  a  Su§§€8imn  in  Clmmg:—Why  not  let  your  im- 
mediate objective  be  to  increase  your  sales  by  selling  one 
more  room  of  linoleum  to  every  customer?  Try  earnestly, 
skilfully,  to  sell  that  one  additional  room.  Having  deter- 
mined to  do  this  simple  thing,  you  will  be  surprised  at  the 
new  mst  you  will  put  into  your  work,  and  I'll  guarantee 
you  right  here  and  now  that  your  order  book  wiU  show  an 
immediate  improvement,  due  to  your  ambition. 

3.  Courtesy 

Wkmi  m  Coiirfctf?-— Courtesy  is  not  a  garment  that  we 
can  put  on  or  take  off  at  will.  It  springs  from  a  sincere 
desire  to  be  of  service.  Service  is  the  only  excuse  your  store 
has  for  existence. 

Courtesy  is  far  more  than  mere  politeness.  It  is  innate 
good  breeding.  Any  attempt  at  courtesy  that  does  not 
recognize  this  is  only  the  thinnest  veneer,  all  right  on  the 
surface,  good  to  look  at,  but  it  doesn't  stand  the  wear  and 
tear  of  usage. 

Three  Degrees  of  Courtesy: — The  store  with  a  well- 
earned  reputation  for  courteous  treatment  sells  its  wares 
more  easily,  makes  more  substantial  profits,  and  com- 

10 


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mands  the  most  desirable  class  of  trade.  The  reputation 
of  your  store  for  courtesy  rests  squarely  on  your  shoulders, 
because  you  deal  with  the  public. 

There  are  three  degrees  of  courtesy  practiced  by  retail 
salesmen.  These  are  positive,  neutral,  and  negative;  and 
each  is  represented  by  a  corresponding  type  of  salesman. 
Let  us  consider  them 

Positive  Courtesy: — How  quickly  we  recognize  this 
type  of  courtesy.  Eager  and  alert  at  all  times,  with  an 
enthusiastic  desire  to  be  of  service,  such  a  salesman  prac- 
tices courtesy  unconsciously.  To  him  the  store  is  a  live 
thing,  and  his  department  is  possessed  of  a  character  and 
personality  to  be  jealously  maintained.  His  wiUingness  to 
show  goods  is  most  noticeable.  Nothing  he  can  do  is  too 
much  trouble.  Such  courtesy  inspires  customers  with  con- 
fidence. People  like  to  buy  from  such  a  salesman. 

Here  is  an  incident  I  learned  recently.  Not  long  ago  a 
woman  came  into  the  rug  section  of  Halle  Bros.,  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.  She  said  she  wanted  a  few  inches  of  brass  nosing 
for  linoleum.  "I  hate  to  bother  you  about  it,"  she  began, 
and  when  she  found  that  a  boy  would  have  to  be  sent  to 
the  warehouse  she  told  the  salesman  not  to  take  the  trouble. 

"Madam,"  said  the  salesman,  "we  pride  ourselves  on 
our  service.  This  store  exists  to  be  of  service  to  you  in 
whatever  way  possible." 

When  the  boy  returned  with  the  nosing,  the  lady  paid 
the  bill,  thirteen  cents,  and  left.  A  week  later,  however, 
she  returned,  hunted  up  this  salesman,  and  purchased 
three  rugs  from  him,  the  bill  amounting  to  over  eleven 
hundred  dollars.  She  told  him  that  his  courtesy  was  the 
reason  why  she  had  come  straight  to  him  for  the  rugs  she 
had  expected  to  buy  at  another  place. 

Doubtless  you  can  also  relate  many  instances  where  posi- 
tive courtesy  has  paid  unusual  dividends. 

11 


Jfenlrol  Couri€»§:—\Jp  and  down  this  country,  it 
seems  to  me,  I  have  met  a  whole  army  of  indifferent  sales- 
men whose  courtesy  is  distinctly  neutral.  They  work  be- 
cause they  have  to.  For  them  the  store  exists  simply  as  a 
means  of  supplying  them  with  a  living.  They  are  never 
deliberately  discourteous.  They  speak  when  they  are 
spoken  to,  but  their  minds  are  not  on  their  work.  These 
siilesmen  show  their  merchandise  in  the  easiest  possible 
way.  They  make  no  movement  to  show  the  goods  on  the 
ioor,  and  should  the  customer  have  enough  nerve  to  ask 
that  it  be  shown  that  way  the  indifference  with  which  they 
concede  her  wish  is,  to  say  the  least,  disconcerting. 

A  few  weeks  ago  a  well-dressed,  but  modest,  little  woman 
walked  into  the  fur  department  of  a  well-known  store. 
After  trying  on  several  garments  she  told  the  clerk  she 
would  like  to  see  a  wrap  that  was  in  the  window.  "Oh," 
said  the  clerk,  "that  is  a  very  expensive  garment.  It  is 
over  two  thousand  dollars."  The  clerk  did  not  even  offer 
to  get  the  garment,  and  the  customer  left. 

That  same  evening  the  lady,  who  was  stopping  with  her 
husband  at  one  of  the  downtown  hotels,  passed  the  store 
and  she  showed  him  the  coat  in  the  window  and  related  to 
him  her  experience.  The  next  morning,  accompanied  by 
his  wife,  the  gentleman  visited  the  department.  He  in- 
sisted that  the  clerk  who  had  so  indifferently  served  his 
wife  be  pointed  out  to  him,  then,  turning  deliberately  to 
another  saleswoman,  he  asked  her  to  bring  the  wrap  from 
the  window.  In  a  very  few  minutes  he  had  purchased  it, 
paying  12,200  in  cash. 

As  this  store  pays  its  salespeople  largely  on  a  commission 
basis,  the  first  girl  lost  at  least  $50  through  her  negligence. 
The  store  might  have  lost  a  customer. 

Whenever  you  see  two  salesmen,  each  claiming  the  sale 
of  a  certain  piece  of  linoleum,  the  first  stating  that  he 

12 


f 


waited  on  a  customer  yesterday  or  a  week  ago,  and  showed 
her  the  identical  pattern  which  she  is  buying  today,  you 
can  be  pretty  sure  that  he  is  of  the  neutral  type.  If  he 
didn't  have  enough  personality  to  impress  himself  on  the 
customer  so  that  she  could  not  forget  him,  he  deserves  to 
lose  the  sale. 

Negative  Courtesy: — It  is  easy  to  picture  to  oneself 
those  salesmen  whose  courtesy  is  purely  negative.  Haughty 
and  overbearing  in  manner,  with  almost  sneering  con- 
tempt for  the  customer's  seeming  ignorance,  they  are  a 
menace  to  any  store.  One  is  never  at  ease  in  their  presence. 
Their  words  are  often  politeness  itself,  sometimes  almost 
cutting  in  their  very  smoothness. 

With  the  proverbial  "chip  on  the  shoulder,"  these  sales- 
men are  forever  driving  customers  away.  The  would-be 
customer  instinctively  feels  the  salesman's  lack  of  courtesy. 
Those  customers  who  are  peaceably  inclined  merely  drift 
out  of  the  store,  others  of  a  more  combative  nature  start  an 
argument  with  the  salesman,  who  usually  is  unable  to  resist 
the  temptation  to  show  the  customer  how  much  he  knows, 
or,  rather,  how  little  he  knows  about  the  merchandise. 

Courtesy  Cannot  Be  Forced: — Courtesy  cannot  be 
forced  to  do  your  will.  It  must  be  a  part  of  your  very  self, 
and  must  be  practiced  without  any  conscious  effort  on  your 
part.  It  is  a  habit,  the  acquisition  of  which  depends  on 
your  desire  to  be  of  genuine  service.  Sham  courtesy,  put  on 
for  effect,  is  easily  detected  and  brands  the  salesman  as  a 
hypocrite. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  SELF-STUDY 

1.  Have  you  ever  made  up  a  plan  or  set  down  in  writing 
what  you  want  to  be  at  age  30?  age  40?  age  50? 

2.  Are  you  a  salesman  because  you  love  selling,  or  be- 
cause circumstances  put  you  in  the  selling  field?    Are  you 

13 


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willing  to  pay  the  price  to  become  a  100%  efficient  sales- 
man? 

3.  The  proprietors  of  your  store  take  inventory  once  or 
twice  a  year.  Have  you  inventoried  your  health,  one  of 
your  most  necessary  assets? 

4.  What  is  your  ambition  for  next  week?  for  next  month? 
next  year?  Are  you  making  definite  progress  toward  your 
immediate  goal? 

5.  Why  does  courtesy  pay  in  selling  more  than  in  any 
other  activity  of  life? 

6.  What  is  your  definition  of  a  really  courteous  person? 


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